Sutter County Library begins renovation project
Feb. 17—The Sutter County Library is getting a much-needed facelift, as construction crews began a renovation project on Tuesday.
The facility, located at 750 Forbes Ave., Yuba City, was originally built in 1971 when the city had a population of 13,986 people. A lot has changed since then, which is why city and county officials collaborated to expand the building's square footage for the public and add new offerings, including an Innovation Center, which will provide residents with access to the latest educational opportunities and tools.
"In order to expand the square footage for the public (approximately 5,500 square feet), we are taking space from our staff area in the back and growing the public space," said James Ochsner, director of library services. "We are adding a meeting room, two study rooms, relocating the front desk and adding an Innovation Center, which will showcase the newest technology like 3D printers, a (Virtual Reality) set up, also we'll have space for sewing machines — it will be a makerspace."
The work will also see the facility receive new flooring, new wall paint, and new furniture.
The project is a collaboration between Yuba City, Sutter County, the Sutter County Library and the county's Development Services Department. A construction contract was awarded to RBH Construction, Inc. out of Folsom in January in the amount of $796,631.
Ochsner said construction is expected to be completed within 90 days, and it will take another month or so after that to move books back into the renovated facility.
The main library will be closed during construction, though residents can still pick up items ordered online either at the Sutter County Museum, or at either library branch located in Sutter (2147 California St.) and Live Oak (10321 Live Oak Blvd.). Ochsner said the library's main phone number (822-7137) will still be in operation during construction. Hours at the two library branches were also extended (open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) to provide the public with more access, he said.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the library has been closed since mid-March 2020 — aside from a brief stint when the area dropped into the state's red tier. Ochsner said if the area returns to the red tier in the weeks ahead, library branches will begin taking appointments again. Until then, services will be provided through the library's online portal (https://bit.ly/2Oy2l8e).
"Please be patient with us during construction," Ochsner said. "We are excited to reopen in the summer with a lot of new stuff."
