Construction of new Appleton library begins as Microsoft's Brad Smith pledges $3M gift
APPLETON – Several hundred supporters of the Appleton Public Library gathered Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the start of construction of a new $40.4 million library on the site of the old library at 225 N. Oneida St.
The moment was 15 years in the making, dating to a 2008 space-needs study that first recommended building a new library.
All of the trials and tribulations since then — the Common Council vote against the downtown bluff site, the exit from a mixed-use library proposal at Soldiers Square and the rejection of the first set of construction bids — were cast to memory to relish the occasion.
"This truly is a wonderful day of celebration," said Nancy Scheuerman, president of the Appleton Public Library board of trustees, "but it's not just a celebration for those of us here, it's a celebration for all of Appleton, all of its citizens and all of the people in the surrounding communities who utilized the Appleton Public Library."
The money for the renovation and expansion project is coming from three sources: Appleton property taxes ($26.4 million), fundraising by the nonprofit organization Friends of Appleton Public Library ($12 million) and the American Rescue Plan Act ($2 million).
Microsoft's Brad Smith emerges as lead donor
Brad Smith, president and vice chair of Microsoft, is the lead donor for the new library, pledging $3 million toward the $12 million fundraising goal.
Smith moved to Appleton as a teen and attended Appleton West High School. He thinks of Appleton as his hometown.
"I have many fond memories of growing up in Appleton and time spent at the Appleton Public Library," Smith said. "Great books and great librarians, as well as great teachers and great schools, provided me with the foundation for my future."
Smith's gift comes with naming rights, and he chose to honor Vira Stoner and Tom Fanning, two of his former teachers at Appleton West.
"In so many ways, Vi Stoner literally taught me how to write, and Tom Fanning taught me how to read, and together they taught me how to think," Smith said.
Fundraising campaign still in the early stages
The Friends group has received more than $8 million in pledges for the new library, including Smith's $3 million lead gift.
"We are grateful to the donors who have indicated their support early in the campaign," Friends Executive Director Kara Sullivan told The Post-Crescent, "and we're excited to invite others to join the campaign at the appropriate time."
The library had to be redesigned after the initial construction bids came in too high and were rejected, causing the capital campaign to pause. With the council's approval of the second round of bids last month, the campaign committee is resuming its work.
"We are confident we will get to our goal," Sullivan said.
What will Appleton get for $40 million?
The new library will total 93,675 square feet of space, compared with 86,600 in the old library, and is designed to meet the community's needs for decades. It will feature a curved glass pavilion on the south facade and a community room for 300 people.
It also will have space for collaboration and creation, lower shelving, improved sight lines, more natural light and a flexible floorplan to allow the building to change with community needs.
The library released animated architectural videos showing how the library will look.
The construction will last 12 to 18 months. The opening of the new library, after staff is trained and materials are brought back from the temporary library, is anticipated in early 2025.
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What do leaders have to say about the project?
"This library will be revitalized to meet the needs of today's and future generations, acting as a civic hub for learning and literacy."
Colleen Rortvedt, library director
"Oh, my goodness, this is a great day for Appleton because I think every great community needs and deserves a great library."
Brad Smith, president and vice chair of Microsoft
"We're making use of the existing building to serve as the bones of our new library, which is a testament to the work of our community leaders of the past, whose foresight and investments are supporting this new undertaking."
Jake Woodford, mayor
"I am immensely proud to be part of the council that voted to proceed with this new library, setting today's memorable events in motion."
Katie Van Zeeland, Common Council president
"Our goal is to provide a library that serves the community today and many, many decades into the future."
Jason Fisher, senior designer at architect Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
"There was nothing easy about getting this project on budget. With the economic conditions and inflationary pressures, headwinds seemed to be at every turn."
Ben Bruns, executive vice president and general manager of Northern Operations for The Boldt Co.
"Capital campaigns are hard work, and we have an ambitious goal, but we know that people like you in the community will step up and help us reach it."
Don Hietpas, president of the Friends of Appleton Public Library board of directors
"Today is more than an ordinary groundbreaking. This ceremony marks a milestone for the entire Fox Cities and will have a permanent, positive impact on the entire region."
Mike Van Asten, chair of the Building Beyond Words capital campaign committee
"This extremely forward-reaching design of the building, with its abundant glass and open spaces, will be a beacon that will draw people — children, adults, youth, everyone — in, to learn more, to investigate and to enrich their lives. There couldn't be anything better than that."
Nancy Scheuerman, president of the library's board of trustees
Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DukeBehnke.
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This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Construction of new Appleton library begins with news of $3M gift
