O'Fallon library officials propose new 40,000-square-foot building; board, council to weigh funding options

Ryan (library director) briefed the City Council on the library’s March 2023 master plan and the board’s work toward a potential new facility, saying the board is pursuing new construction after finding an addition to the current building would be costly and would not correct site limitations. "Libraries are no longer about books only," Ryan told the council, outlining program growth, circulation and visit statistics that library leaders say support a larger facility.

Why it matters: The library’s plan would require substantial capital funding and likely a city bond issuance to finance construction. Because the library is governed by a board that sets levy and budget, the council’s role would include approving any municipal bond issuance; the council would also vote to put a nonbinding advisory referendum on a future ballot to test voter sentiment before a bonding decision.

Key proposal and costs: The library board is evaluating a 40,000-square-foot facility on a city-owned site north of the Public Safety Building on 7 Hills Road. Holland Construction provided a preconstruction cost estimate of about $25,000,000 for a new building, a figure Ryan said includes soft and hard costs and an allowance for escalation. The current library is roughly 17,000 square feet; the master plan found the children’s area, meeting and multipurpose space, acoustics and staffing/workspace are insufficient for current demand.

Usage and funding context: Ryan presented activity figures: roughly 130,000 visits in the prior year; nearly 500 events with about 12,000 attendees; about 64,000 digital checkouts and approximately 200,000 physical checkouts. The library has about 14,000 active unexpired library cards; using census household numbers presented in the meeting, the director said that equates to an active card in roughly 62% of households. The library has about $5,000,000 in reserves earmarked for new construction and is also considering sale of the current facility and state grant opportunities to reduce bond reliance.

Taxes and voter process: Ryan and city staff described household tax implications at various bonding levels. The director said a $20 million bond would add roughly $149 annually to a median household’s property tax bill, increasing the median household’s total library-related tax from about $135 to about $284 per year (an increase from $11 to roughly $24 per month). The city attorney and staff clarified governance: the library board controls levy-setting under the Illinois Public Library Act, although the city council approves the levy ministerially; the city would be the bond issuer and would need to approve bond issuance or place a referendum on the ballot. Ryan said the library is considering a nonbinding advisory referendum in fall 2026 to gauge voter sentiment before any council bond vote.

Next steps and partnerships: The library board is deciding size and budget parameters and will work with partners including Holland Construction (cost study), FGMA (master plan), Bernardi (bond counsel/financial advisor), EveryLibrary (campaign strategy), and a marketing firm to solicit community feedback. A mailer and an online survey will be distributed to gather resident input. Ryan emphasized the concept remains conceptual at this stage and that the board is considering shared amenities (museum space, cafe, banking/postal functions, YMCA adjacency) to increase utility and lower operating costs through partnership.

Questions from councilors focused on prioritization of community-room space, the board/council role in bond issuance and referendum mechanics, and schedule for public engagement.

Ending: The library board will further refine size and cost scenarios and continue community engagement; if the board pursues bond financing, the council would later consider bond issuance and could place an advisory referendum on a future ballot for additional public input.