New North Shore Library receives million dollar donation for library's children's section

Alex Groth, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·2 min read
The new North Shore Library Children’s Section will be named in the memory of Sharon La Macchia.
The new North Shore Library Children’s Section will be named in the memory of Sharon La Macchia.

The North Shore Library project has received a donation of $1 million from the La Macchia family for the construction of the library's children's section.

The North Shore Library Children's Section will be named in the memory of Sharon La Macchia, who passed away in February after living with ovarian cancer for five-and-a-half years.

"She had essentially become a grandmother to all of the children at Bayside. For years, she was a strong advocate for the new North Shore library," said Bayside's Village President Eido Walny.

The new library will be constructed at the corner of Brown Deer and Port Washington roads in Bayside. Construction of the library will be paid for by donors; no tax dollars will be used to build the library. The communities of Bayside, Glendale, River Hills and Fox Point have negotiated on an agreement to fund the operations of the library.

The children's section will feature an interactive learning area with space where children can climb and sit, technology and lots of books, said Walny.

"This entire library is going to be one of the most incredible libraries in this whole region," he said.

The library will occupy a 24,000-square-foot space with an adjacent outdoor plaza. Above the library space will be residential units or office space.

Construction of the library is set to start in May with an anticipated build time of about 18 to 24 months, Walny said. The library is estimated to open in winter 2024.

For more information on the donation, contact the campaign director Julie Cotter at 262-745-7387 or at jcotter@mcdonaldschaefer.com.

RELATED: Meet the candidates running for Bayside Village President

Contact Alex Groth at agroth@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @grothalexandria.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: North Shore Library gets $1 million donation for children's section