After nearly two decades, state-of-the-art library opens
Now completed, the 93,675-square-foot library at 200 N. Appleton St. boasts modern features designed to meet contemporary community needs.
After nearly 17 years of planning, setbacks, and community dedication, the new $40.4 million Appleton Public Library officially opened its doors on Saturday. The long-awaited project, which began in 2008, faced numerous challenges, including an economic recession, a global pandemic, and ongoing disagreements between the Library Board and the Common Council.
Appleton Common Council President Katie Van Zeeland said that, especially in these times, libraries serve a critical function.
"Libraries bring people together from all backgrounds, united by curiosity in a shared pursuit of knowledge."
The journey to the new library was anything but smooth. Various proposals emerged over the years, including a 2018 plan to incorporate the library into a mixed-use development, which ultimately stalled due to conflicts over parking infrastructure. In 2020, Appleton Mayor Jake Woodford revitalized the project, ensuring the library would be rebuilt at its original location. Construction began in July 2023, with significant contributions from donors, including a $3 million pledge from Microsoft president Brad Smith.
Now completed, the 93,675-square-foot library at 200 N. Appleton St. boasts modern features designed to meet contemporary community needs. The facility includes a curved glass pavilion, skylights, a children’s area with a soft climbing mound, and enhanced spaces such as co-working areas, creation studios, and a flex box for hands-on programming. A geothermal system replaces traditional heating and cooling methods, with the potential for additional renewable energy integration in the future. The building’s design prioritizes accessibility, natural light, and community collaboration, with a large meeting room that accommodates up to 315 people.
Woodford marvelled at the work of the architects, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, who he said took up the project as a labor of love.
“Without exaggeration, their firm has designed some of the most important buildings and civic spaces in the world,” he said. “Their care and attention on this project and the firm's own contributions of time and effort made us feel as though the Appleton Public Library was every bit as important to them as Millennium Park, One World Trade Center and the NATO headquarters.”
Funding for the project came from a mix of public and private sources, including $26.4 million from Appleton property taxes, $12 million raised by the Friends of Appleton Public Library, and $2 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. Library Director Colleen Rortvedt emphasized that the newly expanded space is "the absolute best for the community," designed to reflect how people use libraries today.
Van Zeeland lauded the work of her colleagues and everyone involved in making tough decisions, saying the project was “a shining example of government getting stuff done.
“Multiple common councils, dedicated alders, city leaders and community advocates worked hard to keep this vision alive, each building upon the efforts before them,” she said. “Despite obstacles like a pandemic, supply chain issues and record inflation, this council persevered. Approving the investment in a complex remodel took courage, as did being fiscally responsible with a scaled-back budget. When the bids came back over budget, you made tough but necessary decisions to ensure we remained ambitious but also prudent with taxpayer dollars, and that takes real leadership.”
Others who spoke during the ceremony included library director Colleen Rortvedt; Senior Associate Principal of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill; Tom Boldt, Chairman of the Board for The Boldt Group; Nanci Micke, President of the Friends of Appleton Library; Margi Mann, President of the library board of trustees; and Rep. Lee Snodgrass. City of Appleton Poet Laureate Cathryn Cofell recited her poem “For The Next Thirty Years.”
“In a time when we are perhaps tempted to turn away from one another, the library calls us to turn toward to see in each other the fullness of the human experience and the incredible potential that joining together in community holds,” Woodford said.
