ROCKFORD, Michigan — On Election Day, voters approved a millage proposal that will expand the Krause Memorial Library in Rockford.
This will cost the average Rockford homeowner about $115 a year, or just over $2 a week for the funds.
Rockford City Manager Thad Beard told 13 ON YOUR SIDE in August that the millage would go toward expanding the current library space, making the library more accessible and creating more areas for community use.
"The children's programs especially are well received, and it's really difficult for parents of young children to come to those programs only for the child to look at it from around the corner and not actually participate, because the area is overwhelmed with the number of kids that want to participate," Beard said, adding that staff plan to double the square footage to make more room for visitors.
Beard said the library needs to take steps to become more accessible. He said the older building means doorways, ramps, stairs and aisleways are not easy to access with wheelchairs, strollers or other mobility devices.
"So it has been over 30 years since we expanded the library at all. It is in need of some love," said Beard.
Rockford has already gathered raised $5 million toward the project. Beard said $2 million came from Kent County, but that the project needs to be completed by December 2026 to keep the funding.
In total, the expansion is estimated to cost almost $12 million.
Another $2.5 million in funding requests are pending and the community's fundraising efforts will continue.
By the time construction is complete, the library will be more than double the current square footage. Here's what you can expect to see in that new space, according to city leaders:
- A main entrance hub where visitors will have plenty of room to gather and sit in a beautiful, naturally lit space.
- Spaces for private and collaborative use, including six study rooms of various sizes, a large quiet reading room, a designated reading area and an outdoor reading patio.
- A new children’s room with double the space of the current children’s room for both materials and literacy-based activities.
- A larger, flexible community room that can accommodate multiple programs at the same time.
- A courtyard off the children’s and community rooms for outdoor program opportunities.
- A teen area complete with a study room and space to socialize.
- Spaces for senior-focused activities and social engagement.
Additional upgrades include adding a drive-up book return, more computer terminals, updating the library’s aging HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems and improving accessibility for all patrons.
Half of Rockford households have a library card, Beard says.
But he also said the expansion would affect the entire region, not just Rockford residents. The library currently serves about 42,000 people across multiple townships.
Construction is expected to begin in fall 2025, with completion planned by the end of 2026.
Krause Memorial Library is a branch of the Kent District Library system. It was moved to its current location in 1937 and expanded twice in 1963 and then in 1989.
