BUCHANAN — In December, the Buchanan District Library celebrated 80 years of serving the local community. As officials celebrated the major milestone with a cocktail party fundraiser, they also debuted a set of plans to make major improvements to the building. 

Now, Barbara Gordon, the director of the Buchanan District Library, said the capital campaign is moving forward and patrons will soon see an elevator to the second floor and improvements to the Front Street entrance.

Construction for these efforts is expected to break ground on Sept. 10. The renovations are expected to be complete in January or February of 2019. Pearson Construction out of Benton Harbor was hired to do the construction work.

“We are finally getting our beautiful elevator, which will be done on the outside of the building,” Gordon said. “This helped us to save money on engineering costs. It is going to help dress up the building, which we desperately need.”

The elevator will be constructed on the building’s west side. To save funds and maximize space, Gordon said the elevator will be an addition to the outside of the building. The elevator will allow easier access to the second floor where the local history artifacts are displayed.

“For a library of our size to have a collection like we do is rare and unique,” Gordon said. “We hope to have more things on display and encourage people to explore more.”

As for the front of the building, Gordon said the entrance will look a little like a vintage movie theater marquee, with a canopy and new lighting. Forum Architecture, of South Bend, created the designs for phase two renovations.

This fall’s construction is the second part of three phases intended to improve the library. These renovations first began in May of 2014 and included a cosmetic overhaul of the first floor, expansion of the children’s area and relocation of the circulation desk. These aspects of the project were completed in 2015. Savings and fundraising helped to pay for phase one. Since then, the library has continued to fundraise for phase two and three, raising about $15,000 through the winter cocktail party, selling chicken at summer concerts and a pledge letter.

According to Gordon, phase two is anticipated to cost just under $775,000. The library is currently in the process of securing bond financing to supplement about $500,000 of that cost. The library also received a grant from the Gateway Community Foundation to work with an Indianapolis-based firm, Loring, Sternberg & Associates, that will help them to form both a five-year strategic plan and creating fundraising opportunities.

The elevator will also serve as crucial stepping stone for phase three of the library’s capital campaign, which will include renovating part of the upstairs into a 1,418-square-foot community room with a kitchen and two 145-square-foot coffee bars.

“It will have sweeping views of Front Street with big windows and it will have a kitchen,” Gordon said. “We anticipate groups being able to rent that room out, even when the library is closed or on weekends.”

Library officials expect phase three to cost about $350,000. Gordon said library officials hope to raise phase three funds to cover this cost, without supplements from bonds or other financial sources. The goal is to start construction in 2019.

Reflecting on all the library has accomplished in its time serving the community, Gordon said the nonprofit has grown from housing about 2,000 items to 65,945 and served as a place for the burgeoning local history room. When construction for phase two wraps up, Gordon said those that patronize should see a major difference. 

“This will allow us to become more of that community hub,” Gordon said. “It sort of allows us to redefine what the public library is in Buchanan. We will be more than books. By having this huge community room upstairs, we can become a destination.”