Glencoe Public Library officials are preparing to ask voters to fund a major renovation of their 320 Park Avenue building — a $17 million project they say is necessary to modernize the 84-year-old facility.
Library board members and staff outlined their plans during an Oct. 19 community presentation, explaining why an overhaul is needed and what improvements residents can expect if funding is approved. The board is expected to vote in November on whether to place a bond referendum on the ballot for next year’s municipal elections.
The library, roughly 20,500 square feet in size, first opened in 1941. It last underwent a renovation in 2001, followed by the installation of a new heating and cooling system in 2017. Executive Director Andrew Kim told the audience that consideration for a larger upgrade emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, when staff began evaluating the building’s long-term viability.
“The pandemic prompted us to reflect on what the library really is and the work it needs,” Kim told attendees.
That assessment led to a capital needs study identifying more than 300 maintenance-related issues throughout the building, Kim noted.
In 2023, the board adopted a five-year strategic plan that included facility modernization as one of its main goals. Last year, trustees hired the Chicago-based architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) to develop renovation concepts. The firm has led similar library projects across the Chicago area.
“Today libraries are more in demand than ever because they’re the one place in the community that is free, welcoming and accessible to all,” said SOM Partner Adam Semel, a Glencoe resident.
Semel showcased a plan that would add roughly 4,000 square feet to the building and calls for a new flexible space capable of hosting large-scale programming, an expanded children’s area, additional small-group meeting spaces, refreshed collection areas, and improved accessibility throughout the building — including a central elevator. It would also enhance heating and cooling systems and open up the library to more natural light and direct access to Wyman Green, the green space between the library and Village Hall.
“We’re trying to keep all the things we love about the library today,” Semel said. “But there’s going to be a change, too — with much more daylight coming in. It’s going to feel light, bright and fresh.”
Construction could begin in 2026 and take about two years to complete. Kim said the library will remain available to patrons in some capacity during the work, though specific plans have not yet been determined.
“One way or another, we are going to be around,” he said.
The total project cost is tentatively estimated at $17.3 million, though that figure is being reviewed later this year, Semel said. Officials say most of the funding would likely come from the bond referendum the board expects to propose. The exact amount of the measure has not been finalized, as a private fundraising effort is underway to offset some of the costs.
The library currently accounts for about 3 % of a typical Glencoe property tax bill. If approved, the referendum would add to a list of recent local bond issues, including nearly $15 million for Glencoe Park District beach and park improvements approved in 2024, $10 million for village infrastructure work in 2021, and $15 million for upgrades to the Glencoe Golf Club, highlighted by a new clubhouse/pro shop. Voters also supported New Trier High School’s 2014 Winnetka campus renovation.
Library Board President Roger Parfitt said community feedback so far has been largely positive.
“The comment I’ve heard is that if it’s appropriate for this village to spend $15 million on a golf course renovation that very few people in Glencoe use, it’s even more appropriate to make sure we have the library in great shape,” he said.
To help reduce the amount of borrowing, the library’s capital campaign has already raised over $800,000 in donations and pledges toward a goal of $2.5 million by the end of the year.
“We think that’s doable,” Trustee Linda Lin said, who is the co-chairperson of the capital campaign advisory council. “We’ve had a lot of people step up and show enthusiasm.”
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Donors can contribute through naming rights for library rooms and spaces, she said.
In an effort to involve residents of all ages, children across the village set up lemonade stands in September to raise money for the campaign — 12 stands in all. The event also served as a way to build awareness of the intention to renovate the library.
Lin said over $3,000 was raised through the lemonade sales.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.