After a two-year wait, Fort Worth is one page closer to reopening its downtown library branch in a nearly 100-year-old, soon-to-be-renovated building.
The city on Thursday launched an online survey asking locals to weigh in with their vision for the new six-story location, which still needs a previously estimated $6.5 million in renovations before opening.
Two public listening sessions about the renovations are on the books — one Sept. 4, the other Sept. 13. The locations for both are pending.
“We’re committed to engaging residents in reimagining the space and shaping a downtown library that truly reflects the community’s vision and needs,” said Nikita Watts, a city of Fort Worth property management official. “This collaborative approach takes time, but it ensures the outcome is meaningful and inclusive.”
The city sold its previous central library building, built in 1901, to be demolished and replaced with two 20-story mixed-use buildings in 2023. The $18 million sale came after third-party consultants found “a number of issues” with the building’s condition and functionality, according to the city’s website.
In August 2024, City Council approved purchasing the 31,500-square-foot building at 512 W. 4th St. with the intent to renovate it for library use in the future.
A year later, renovations have yet to start, despite an earlier rough estimate that they could start in early 2025.
The building’s longtime previous tenants, nonprofit agency Center for Transforming Lives, moved out at the end of May. This vacancy allowed the city to start the hiring process for a design and build firm, Watts said in an email.
Staffers have initiated discussions around potential options for the ground and first floors, Watts said.
“The project timeline remains flexible at this stage,” she wrote. “Given the complexity and significance of the scope, the Library Department is being intentional about conducting thorough community outreach.”
Since 2023, the city has operated the Downtown Express Library, a room on the first floor of Fort Worth’s old City Hall, where residents can check out books and use free Wi-Fi.
The new location’s renovation will be completed in phases as funding for each is secured. Phase one includes the main entry, basement and first floor. On the second floor, the city will need funding for a technology package to make the floor’s theater and stage functional for events. Additional phases will be planned accordingly, the city’s website explains.
The building opened in the 1920s as headquarters for the Fort Worth Elks Lodge fraternity, with assembly meeting rooms on its first and second floors, and hotel rooms on the third through fifth. The Center for Transforming Lives, then known as the Young Women’s Christian Association of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, purchased the building in 1955 and was headquartered there until May.
Drew Shaw is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org or @shawlings601.
At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
Related
Great Job Drew Shaw & the Team @ Fort Worth Report Source link for sharing this story.
