Milwaukee Public Library’s King Library branch, part of a new development that includes apartments, will have its grand opening on Sept. 6.
The library, 2901 N. King Drive, will be open only to staffers starting in about two weeks.
Library employees will have about a month to move collections into the new building and prepare for the opening, said Yves LaPierre, library construction projects manager.
The grand opening ceremony will be on the morning of Saturday, Sept. 6, said Joan Johnson, library director.
Johnson and LaPierre spoke at the July 10 meeting of the Library Board’s Building and Development Committee.
“This new space reflects our deep belief that libraries are more than buildings, they are commitments to thepeople they serve. Any city that has a healthy library system is a city of hope,” Johnson said, in a statement.
The 18,000-square-foot library includes a large community room to host neighborhood meetings and other events; green building features, such as solar panels and geothermal heating and cooling, and maker space, including 3D printing, podcasting equipment, and other technology.
The King Library branch since May 2023 has been housed temporarily at 2767 N. King Drive.
The 52-year-old former branch building was demolished and replaced by the new development.
Known as MLK Library Apartments, it features a four-story, 42-unit building, with the library and retail space on the first floor, at North King Drive and West Locust Street.
Development firms General Capital Group LLP and Emem Group LLC also built a four-story, 43-unit apartment building at the block’s northern end, at West Chambers Street.
A small portion of the former Garfield Theatre’s lobby, in the block’s middle, was converted and expanded into eight new live-work units.
The apartments’ financing includes a private loan, federal affordable housing tax credits, and city financing from property taxes generated by the new development.
The tax credits require most of the apartments be provided at below-market rents to people earning no more than 60% of the local median income. The apartments began opening in December.
The city paid for the new library, which it owns.
(This article was updated to add new information.)
Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, Bluesky, X and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee’s King Library branch has been rebuilt and now includes apartments. It opens Sept. 6
Reporting by Tom Daykin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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