APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The Appleton Public Library likely won’t be moved anytime soon. Project plans have changed, yet again.
Mayor Jake Woodford tells FOX 11 he wants to keep it downtown, near Washington and Oneida streets.
“We’ve been talking about it, and talking about it, and it’s time for us to really get to work and make a project happen.
Appleton’s library project has been in the works for more than a decade.
It has been talked about at several city council meetings, and even crept its way into Mayor Jake Woodford’s campaign.
“I knocked on a lot of doors, and heard from a lot of constituents here in Appleton, and learned a lot about their perspectives on a variety of issues, but definitely heard about the library, and the library project!” Woodford told the Appleton Library Board at Tuesday’s meeting.
The library seems to be an issue that just won’t go away.
“The whole reason we’ve been talking about the library building in Appleton for as long as we have, is because the current building is not meeting the needs of our community,” Woodford said.
First, the plan was a $37 million library on the Fox River Bluffs. That was shot down.
The next move – a multi-million-dollar project that would include U.S. Venture building new headquarters at a Downtown Appleton location. But that recently hit a roadblock and is now at a standstill.
Just a couple years ago, the plan was a mixed-use project on the site of Soldiers Square parking ramp, but with Woodford’s new announcement, that idea is now dead in the water.
“What we’re doing now is shifting our focus to the site of the current library, as opposed to looking at other sites,” said Woodford.
The city isn’t the only one shifting focus.
In a statement to FOX 11, US Venture says:
“U.S. Venture remains committed to downtown Appleton. Plans for our new headquarters, as well as discussions with downtown leaders are progressing.”
But, the statement goes onto say:
“That said, the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a shift in focus in recent months to navigating our businesses through this crisis. Our top priority has consistently been the health and well-being of our team members and their families, as well as support of our customers during this challenging time. We appreciate the ongoing support we have received surrounding the headquarters project, and we look forward to sharing additional details as they become available.”
Woodford says, by keeping the library at the current site, it removes obstacles that other plans have put in place and allows them to move forward, without interfering with other projects.
“The public library in Appleton is not contingent on other projects happening.”
Whether the library will be rebuilt or renovated, and how much it will cost remains to be seen.
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