Completion of the new Powell Library building has been pushed into early next year after contractor Groathouse Construction asked for a slight extension to make a few changes to improve the project. 

Park County commissioners last week approved a 41-day extension for Groathouse and its subcontractors, which originally planned for a late November finish. Now, substantive completion is planned by Jan. 8, with final completion Feb. 6. 

That’s still well ahead of when the project needs to be completed to satisfy state grant requirements — operating by the end of 2026 — and far earlier than initially expected. 

“Even if it changes [the opening date] by a couple weeks, I still feel like we’re way ahead than we actually ever thought we would be,” Park County Libraries Director Karen Horner told the Tribune on Tuesday. 

The contractor is not asking for any more funds to complete the roughly $11 million project, which is funded by state grants and more than $3 million in federal ARPA dollars via the county. County Engineer Brian Edwards said there’s a good chance the project ends with a positive cost adjustment to save the county some money. 

“The way things are looking and the way the project’s going, Groathouse has done a good job,” Edwards said. “They’ve worked hard at it every day they can, and subcontractors, and really their whole team has done a great job and has done everything they can to work when they can.”

Horner said the slight delay isn’t an issue at all, as the library staff will still need a couple of months to move into the new space. That means a grand opening celebration could be planned for an April-May timeframe, once the cold winter months are fading. 

“The library can’t really start to do anything until they’re all done,” Horner said. “And we promised the community a brand new library, and we mean it. We’re doing everything new. So new shelving, new furniture, new computer tables and new book trucks, new printers, like, everything is new.”

She said the library has been ordering items it will need, such as shelves and furniture, to be prepared, but many items will still need to be constructed before use, not to mention the wiring IT specialists will have to do to connect computers and other tech. 

“That in itself is a huge undertaking,” she said. “So, you know, the library needs a couple months to put all the new stuff in.”

Once everything is set up, Horner said the library is planning to go big on its opening celebration, welcoming people to a new building nearly half-a-century in the making.

“I’m envisioning, you know, a ribbon cutting, food trucks, a block party,” she said, adding, “This is something that’s been in the works for 50 years … Ever since the 80s, it’s been nothing but talks and promises for a new library, so we want to make it huge.”