SANTA CRUZ – Santa Cruz Public Libraries on Wednesday announced it exceeded its funding goals for three more library branches.
Voters passed Measure S in 2016 to set aside funding to remodel all libraries throughout Santa Cruz County. So far, that funding has been used to complete projects for the Felton and La Selva Beach library renovations in early 2020 and the Capitola library renovation last year.
Three more projects are the focus of 2022. Renovations for the Garfield Park, Branciforte and Aptos libraries are slated for this year. However, Measure S funding set aside for these libraries and the cost of renovation had about a $1 million gap, according to Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries Chairperson Janis O’Driscoll.
As of Wednesday morning, Friends of the Library not only met the gap, but exceeded it by more than $32,000. The official tally at the time of the reveal was $1,032,500.
“This could not have happened without the dedication and support of our Friends of the Library groups and the various capital campaign committee members,” Santa Cruz Public Libraries Director Yolande Wilburn said. “The Friends of the Library have helped us realize the promise of new, modern, 21st century libraries for our community.”
The Garfield Park library is slated to open in April, while Branciforte will open its doors sometime in the summer, according to Martha Dexter, chairperson of the Santa Cruz Committee for Realizing the Promise.
Lastly, the Aptos Library will open in 2023. That library will take longer because it has yet to undergo demolition. Demolition of the library is scheduled for March.
The $32,000 excess will be used for general improvements of the three libraries. That could include better technology, extra amenities, public art and opening day collections.
“This community was given a once in a generation opportunity to make an investment — a historic investment — in our libraries, and they jumped and did it,” Supervisor Zach Friend said after sharing an anecdote about how he helped save his own local library when he was a kid. “We really have done something for the next generation. An investment that we really haven’t done in history.”
After the completion of these three libraries, the last remaining Measure S project will be the Downtown Santa Cruz branch. Plans for the downtown branch are to place it in a mixed-use project that proposes retail and daycare space, as well as up to 125 affordable housing units.
However, that project is less certain than the previous six. Currently, Our Downtown, Our Future is petitioning to get a measure on the November ballot that would quash the library project.
The measure would designate the proposed site of the Library Mixed-Use project as a permanent home for the Downtown Farmers Market. It would also require the city to renovate the current library site, which city leaders say is not ideal due to the buildings outdated infrastructure.
Our Downtown, Our Future has until May 23 to collect 3,848 signatures from registered voters in Santa Cruz to make the ballot. From there, a simple majority vote will decide the fate of the downtown library.
