Salt Lake City weighs $85 million bond to rebuild or remodel three libraries
Debt service would add about $4.76 a month to the average residential property tax bill, and some council members say approval is not certain.
Based on reporting by The Salt Lake Tribune. Read the original story →
Salt Lake City is planning major work on three libraries, the Main Library, the Anderson-Foothill Branch and the Day-Riverside Branch, under a proposed $85 million bond that could be issued in 2028 or 2029, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. The City Council and Library Board have already approved nearly $6 million in the latest budget to prepare for the projects. [1]
The largest piece is Anderson-Foothill, a 40-year-old building on unstable soils that would be replaced with a two-story library at an estimated $49 million, with larger children's spaces, quieter study areas, meeting rooms and 32 underground parking stalls. Day-Riverside would be expanded and streamlined, and the Main Library would be reorganized floor by floor. The current timeline begins with a request for proposals to developers in 2027. [1]
Council member Victoria Petro said she supports moving ahead with the money already set aside but called the bond an intent rather than a commitment. "If economic conditions don't change, I cannot ask my neighbors to continue going into their pockets for things that are nice to have," she said. Library CEO Noah Baskett told the council that libraries now work as community living rooms, technology centers and classrooms. [1]
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