Groundbreaking for new Appleton Public Library will feature music, speakers and more

Duke Behnke, Appleton Post-Crescent
·3 min read

APPLETON – The community will gather Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the groundbreaking of the $40.4 million renovation and expansion of the Appleton Public Library.

The project has been years in the making with many stops and starts. It advanced last month when the Common Council voted 13-2 to accept the second round of construction bids.

Library Director Colleen Rortvedt said the groundbreaking will be a special moment for the community after persevering through the twists and turns of the project.

"It's a project that had to resonate with the community, and this one did," Rortvedt told The Post-Crescent. "We're ending up with a really wonderful project for our entire community for decades to come."

The groundbreaking program will start at 2 p.m. at 225 N. Oneida St. A reception and activities will follow.

Parking will be available on the street or in the Yellow Ramp.

Who will speak at the groundbreaking?

Nine people are scheduled to speak during the hour-long groundbreaking ceremony.

  • Colleen Rortvedt, library director

  • Jake Woodford, mayor

  • Katie Van Zeeland, Common Council president

  • Jason Fisher, associate principal and design studio head at architect Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

  • Ben Bruns, executive vice president and general manager of Northern Operations for The Boldt Co.

  • Don Hietpas, president of the Friends of Appleton Public Library board of directors

  • Mike Van Asten, chair of the Building Beyond Words capital campaign committee

  • Brad Smith, president and vice chair of Microsoft

  • Nancy Scheuerman, president of the Appleton Public Library board of trustees

Event will include music, public art and touch-a-truck

The groundbreaking will be a family affair. Beyond the speakers, the event will feature music by local musicians and the Appleton City Band, public art and photo opportunities in preparation for a time capsule.

Children's activities include touch-a-truck, a separate pile of dirt for digging and temporary tattoos.

"We thought what better way to celebrate the groundbreaking for the library that's going to serve these kids and hopefully their kids, too," Rortvedt said.

More: Appleton Conservancy will add 33 acres of woodlands, wetlands to city's park system

More: Appleton library project won't reduce parking; policy changes may improve it

Temporary library will close for four hours Tuesday

The temporary library in the former Best Buy store at 2411 S. Kensington Drive will be closed from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday so library staff can assist with the groundbreaking activities and celebrate the moment.

"It's a big milestone for all of us, so we wanted to be sure everybody could attend," Rortvedt said.

The temporary closure has been announced on the library's website and through social media.

What will the new library offer?

The new library will feature a curved glass pavilion on the south facade and a community room for 300 people.

It 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.

When will the library be finished?

Construction work will begin in earnest to capitalize on the warm weather. The construction will last 12 to 18 months, so the completion of the project will occur in the second half of 2024.

The opening of the new library, after staff is trained and materials are brought back from the temporary library, is anticipated in early 2025.

The old library closed its doors in April 2022 in anticipation of construction.

Who is paying for the new library?

The money for the project is coming from three primary sources.

  • City of Appleton (property taxes): $26.4 million

  • American Rescue Plan Act: $2 million

  • Fundraising by Friends of Appleton Public Library: $12 million

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: Groundbreaking for new $40 million Appleton library set for Tuesday