CMPL plans to open a new North Branch located in the Macomb Town Center at 25 Mile and Broughton. Below is a list of answers to frequently asked questions about this project. We can’t wait to celebrate each and every milestone with you as we go through the building process!
Photo Gallery of Construction
UPDATE (11/19/2019): We have received the necessary permits from the Building Department to proceed with foundation and shell work. Construction will start this week! In the meantime, we are working to obtain the remainder of the building permit in early 2020 to avoid any interruption in construction work with the goal of holding the grand opening in summer 2021.
UPDATE (09/20/2019): Although our ground breaking ceremony was in May, the start of our project has been delayed a couple of months as reengineering work was done to change the exterior walls from structural steel to load-bearing masonry. The change has resulted in savings of over $400,000! Once we receive our building permit from Macomb Township work will begin on the site.
- The population of the northern part of the library’s service area has grown tremendously since the North Branch opened in 2001. In fact Macomb Township’s population has increased by 72% (36,473 residents) since that time and continues to grow. By 2025 Macomb Township is expected to exceed 90,000 residents. The vacant land available for future growth is mainly in the northeastern portion of the township.
- The current North Branch has been very successful averaging 10,000 visits per month but has outgrown its space.
- We have added the maximum number of shelving units without beginning to remove study tables that are already in short supply. For each item added to the collection we have to remove one to create space. The North Branch is now the smallest and oldest of the library’s three locations.
- As part of the 2014 millage request the Library Board promised voters that it would expand North Branch services including a drive-up item return, group study rooms, separate children’s program room, quiet study room, and early literacy stations. This decision is keeping in line with CMPL’s 26-year commitment of, “promises made, promises kept.”
- The current building was originally designed for medical offices which creates challenges to expanding it as a library. The entire building would have to be remodeled at an estimated cost of $5.5M and then the parking would still not be suitable for the traffic a larger library would generate.
- The library has always been part of Macomb Township’s vision of a vibrant Town Center and will build synergy with the highly popular Recreation Center building.
The current North Branch is 14,000 square feet. The new North Branch will be 28,091 square feet.
54100 Broughton Road, on a 7.581 acre site.
August 2021.
The estimated cost is $18.5 million.
No. CMPL pays for all expenses—including bond debt service for construction projects—out of its operating fund. The 2014 millage request increased the level of funding for the library system, in part to be able to expand North Branch services.
Inspiration for the design of the building came from Monticello, the Library of Congress, the Cranbrook Institute of Science, and numerous Carnegie libraries typical of the architectural era that Macomb Township is attempting to recall. Materials, colors and design elements were selected to harmonize with the other two municipal buildings and to ensure proper proportions and contextual appropriateness to the Town Center. Quinn Evans is a nationally renowned architectural firm with an extensive portfolio that includes numerous public library and landmark historical building projects such as the Michigan state capitol and Michigan Central Station Train Depot.
It will offer everything that we have at the current North Branch plus more group study and tutoring rooms; a separate, expanded children’s area; quiet study room; drive-up return and pick-up services; and more shelving for books and other library materials. The Library Board has hired Quinn Evans Architects to design the new building and McCarthy & Smith, Inc., as the construction management firm. We will begin to share building elevation and floor plan drawings in early 2019.
No. This is intended to be a full-service branch library. There is no need to duplicate administrative, IT, HR, facilities and other functions which is one of the major benefits of the voluntary district library partnership between Macomb Township and Clinton Township.
We will work to minimize the time between the old North Branch closing and the new North Branch opening, although we will need time to move the books, shelving, furniture and other items. The building will ultimately be sold with the proceeds being used towards paying for the new library.
A requirement by the MDEQ required the selective removal of trees on the land before the official groundbreaking. Wood from the felled American beech trees will be used inside the new building.
