Troy leaders preview 90,000‑square‑foot library concept; cost estimate due May 30 ahead of possible bond

TROY, Mich. — Troy City Council and the Planning Commission on April 28 reviewed preliminary designs for a proposed new Troy Public Library and agreed to keep developing plans while staff and architects complete a cost estimate due May 30.

At a special joint meeting held in the existing library, members of the public urged the council to support a future bond to replace the current facility, which presenters said is undersized and shows infrastructure problems. City and library staff emphasized tonight’s meeting was for feedback; no site‑plan approvals or bond decisions were made.

The library director, Emily Dumas, said the process began with a February 2023 strategic plan and extensive public outreach that produced “nearly 3,000 responses.” She said the current building’s footprint and condition limit services and accessibility and that the schematic concept being reviewed responds to those findings. “At the heart of this entire process is a single goal, to design a library that not only serves the community, but honors the incredible people it's meant for,” Dumas said.

Architects from HBM Architects presented a three‑story concept that the team described as roughly 90,000 square feet — about double the current building’s 50,000 square feet. HBM President Peter Bullock said the design places children’s spaces and the main public commons on the first floor, adult collections on a prominent second floor, and meeting/ staff space on the third floor. The plan…