Springfield, MO – The Springfield-Greene County Library District will host an indoor groundbreaking ceremony for the new Republic Branch Library at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 921 N. Lindsey Ave., Republic. Representatives from the Library Board of Trustees, Friends of the Library, the Library Foundation, the Republic Mayor and the Presiding County Commissioner will be on hand.
The new Republic Branch Library will be constructed on the same lot as the existing library and the current library will remain open during construction. The new facility will more than double in size and will feature a much larger children’s area with a dedicated storytime space, a teen area, a large 150-seat auditorium, a business center, meeting rooms, a maker space, an outdoor patio and a nature walking trail.
The Board of Trustees approved the overall construction cost at $8,912,416 during their December 17, 2024 meeting. Paragon Architecture is the architect for the project, and Nabholz Construction will handle the construction work. Construction will begin immediately and the new branch is expected to open in Spring 2026.
In 2022, The Library District was awarded $10.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. This construction project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SLFRP4542 awarded to State of Missouri by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The Library is using the funding to make much-needed upgrades to the Midtown Carnegie Branch, add an auditorium to the Library Center and build this new facility in Republic. The Library District will be reimbursed for half of the expenditures and will fundraise for the additional funding needed.
For further information about the Springfield-Greene County Library District, contact Community Relations Director Vickie Hicks at 417-616-0654 or vickieh@thelibrary.org.