MIDDLETOWN, Ky. (WDRB) --Â At one point its future was uncertain, but now a new chapter is about to begin for the Middletown Library.
Construction crews are putting the final touches on a new location for the library branch.
"There's still some work to do, but they're really making great progress," Library Director Lee Burchfield said.Â
The library's new home was completely gutted and is undergoing a total transformation. It's located on Shelbyville Road across from the Kroger.
"Before when you walked in it could really feel kind of confined," Burchfield said. "We wanted to open it up and make it so that when you walked in you could see from one end of the building to the other."
If you turn back the pages, this story could have had a much different ending. The library used to be located in the East Government Center. It was set to close due to budget cuts in 2019, but some weren't willing to accept that.
"I was going to continue fighting and make it a key thing of my first term to make sure we got the Middletown library re-opened," Councilman Anthony Piagentini, R-19, said.
After some collaboration and negotiation, it was decided the City of Middletown will allow the library to use the new space rent-free. Metro Government will cover all operating costs.
The more than 5,000-square-foot space will house 25,000 books and materials. It will feature computers, free Wi-Fi, a kids section and spaces for reading and studying.
"This is more than a library ... it's something that the community and senior citizens and kids and people use as a community center," Piagentini said.
The facility is also walking distance from two schools and several residential neighborhoods.
"The public library is really space that belongs to everybody in the community," Burchfield said. "It will be where people who live in the area come and see their neighbors and their friends and their coworkers."
The library will officially open to the public on Nov. 15.
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