The City of Maitland will host a series of public workshops to gather community ideas for construction of a new public library.
Residents are invited to two open sessions at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 28, at the Maitland City Hall, 1776 Independence Lane. City representatives will present information about a modern new library that is proposed to replace the existing city facility, which originally opened more than a century ago on South Maitland Avenue.
Interactive discussions will encourage participants to ask questions and to provide input about Maitland’s library. Different work groups also will collect ideas regarding architecture, rooms, seating, technology, services and other features desired for a new library.
Selected library stakeholders from around Maitland will join two other work sessions on Thursday, June 29. Refreshments will be served during each meeting. Results from work sessions will be incorporated into design proposals for the new library.
Maitland’s historic library building at 501 S. Maitland Ave. opened in 1907. Building additions were created in 1959, 1972 and 1989. The small property limits additional building expansion, and the age of the facility creates challenges for many other renovations. Repairs have grown increasingly expensive.
In 2018, the City of Maitland conducted an assessment of the existing building that led to considerations to build a new library. City Council members looked at different downtown locations before proposing Quinn Strong Park – a three-acre recreational area at 345 S. Maitland Ave. that is adjacent to the existing library as well as the Art & History Museums of Maitland and the Maitland Senior Center.
The next step is to create an architectural design to determine to the size and cost if the new library construction is approved.