Denver City Council approved the purchase of a condo unit in the Westwood community which will become the newest Denver Public Library branch. The new branch will allow the library to expand its footprint and services offered in the Westwood community. The project is part of the RISE Denver bond, which was approved by Denver voters in 2021.
“Every Denver resident deserves the same access to the services that support equity for their families and in their neighborhoods,” Mayor Michael B. Hancock said. “This purchase allows us to make good on the promise we made to Westwood residents with the RISE Denver bonds to provide a new state-of-the-art library right in the heart of their community.”
The property is located at 3300 West Nevada Place, within the Westwood Redeemer development. The property, which formerly housed the Lutheran Redeemer Church, was initially purchased in 2021 by Lifespan Local, led by Dr. Lyda Prado.
Prado led a community-driven process to identify the needs of Southwest Denver residents to develop a vision for the project. The new library will be a co-created space with other neighborhood organizations providing legal support, healthy food, and well-being resources.
“The Denver Public Library is committed to meeting the needs of the Westwood community and we have been working with our partners at the City and with the community over the last several years to expand our space and services in the area,” said Michelle Jeske, city librarian. “We are grateful to Denver voters for approving the RISE Denver bond in 2021, which allows us to be a part of this dynamic new space.”
The new branch will complement the existing Westwood Branch Library, which, at 900 square feet, is the smallest library in the Denver Public Library system. The new location will be approximately 6,000 square feet and will provide the community with a larger collection of library materials, greater access to technology, community meeting spaces and services geared toward families, youth, immigrants, refugees and job seekers.
The $5,950,000 purchase price includes tenant finishes. Construction on the facility is underway and the library hopes to open the new location in 2024.
The existing branch and new branch are located in a neighborhood identified as needing additional library services in the Denver Public Library’s 2017 Facilities Master Plan.
- As the Labor Crisis Continues for Colorado Restaurants, Immigrants Stock Up On Culinary Knowledge - January 14, 2025
- Will Filling Out Student Aid Form Target Undocumented Parents for Next President’s Mass Deportations? - January 10, 2025
- Calling On President-Elect Not to Pardon Rioters - January 10, 2025
