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As expected, the Powell Library has been approved for just under $8.5 million dollars in funding from a federal COVID-19 fund passed to the state.
This funding will help Park County Libraries in …
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As expected, the Powell Library has been approved for just under $8.5 million dollars in funding from a federal COVID-19 fund passed to the state.
This funding will help Park County Libraries in constructing a new library in Powell after demolition of the existing library. The new building will be constructed at its current downtown site.
The new structure, designed in partnership with two firms, will expand the square footage from approximately 9,000 to 14,000 square feet.
“The journey to create a new library in Powell has been one that the community has been on for decades,” said Park County Libraries Director Karen Horner in a news release. “It is such an amazing chance to deliver what has been sought for so long. The funding received from WLMCF will allow for the creation of a new Powell Library that will allow for the space to enhance the educational, workforce and health resource needs of the community. Park County Libraries is so grateful to receive this ARPA funding and deliver a new library for the Powell community.”
The Wyoming Library Multi-Purpose Community Facility Program (WLMCF) is funded by the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (CPF) through the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
The WLMCF is a competitive subgrant program that has made $12.6 million in funding available for library construction and renovation projects that support work, education and health monitoring. Eligible projects address community needs that were created, exacerbated or made apparent by the Covid-19 public health emergency.
“Our libraries, like many organizations, were greatly affected by the pandemic,” said Abby Beaver, interim Wyoming state librarian. “We’re grateful for the ARPA funding that will help local libraries better provide the resources and services that people in their communities need.”
The Powell project will be further boosted by $3.2 million from Park County, which earlier received $12 million in federal funds. The library board is planning to raise the rest of the estimated $12 million budget for the new building via fundraising.
County Commission Chair Dossie Overfield said previously that Homesteader Hall in the Park County Fairgrounds could be used as a temporary library space for the one to one-and-a-half years needed to finish construction.
(Zac Taylor contributed
reporting)
