ROCKFORD, Mich. — After years of discussion, city officials broke ground Tuesday on a nearly $12 million expansion of the Krause Memorial Library.
The project will double the size of the current facility, which officials say is one of the most-used but smallest libraries in the Kent District Library system.
"It's been in talks since before we moved here," said Brandi Berta, a Rockford mom who attended the groundbreaking. "So, I'm just really happy to see this day come.”
Berta noted that the expansion will provide much-needed community space for families.
“The spaces that they have for children are very limited right now, and it's going to be really great to have a spot where we can come and we can play, and we can just interact with our community,” she said.
Fellow Rockford mom Katie Baker agreed.
“We come a lot to the library, and I think the expansion will give everyone the opportunity to enjoy it, because right now they're just limited by space,” Baker said.
The project is funded by a $5.7 million Rockford city millage, along with $5.4 million in government grants and public donations.
According to Rockford City Manager Thad Beard, the library serves residents beyond the city limits, and the expansion was a regional effort.
“The city library serves way more than just the city residents. It serves the community, and so, the region surrounding the city came together, and they helped us with a leadership board, with funding, with the design, a strategy to make this today a reality,” Beard said. “This is one of the highest used in the Kent District Library System, and it's one of the smallest facilities, so we think we're right-sizing it to better meet the needs of the residents.”
Library staff said the expansion will transform the building into a modern facility with ADA-compliant features, an expanded technology and business center, and an outdoor library plaza.
“We see an awful lot of business in our small amount of space,” a library staff member named Jennifer said.
The need for the project has been long-standing, according to KDL Regional Manager Jennifer German.
“People have been asking me for over 20 years when we are going to expand this building, so it's very exciting to tell them that it's happening today,” German said.
With construction now underway, Monroe Street will be permanently closed between Bridge and Maple streets. The library will remain open at its current location until February, when it will temporarily move to the Community Cabin.
The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026.
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