Rondo branch to move temporarily to Hallie Q. Brown Community Center for foyer and safety renovations

St. Paul Public Library staff told the Library Board that the Rondo Community Library will temporarily move its services to the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center while the city undertakes a narrowly scoped renovation to improve the branch’s foyer, entry and restroom layout.

Marlena Okechukwu, public services manager, said the renovation is intended to improve sight lines, make the entrance more welcoming and relocate restrooms away from the front door so staff can connect with patrons immediately upon entry. The work is informed by community feedback and guidance from city experts on Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), Okechukwu said.

Alex Riley, branch manager at Rondo, described the branch as heavily used—about 250,000 visits and roughly 350 programs in the prior year, with nearly 2,800 visits to the homework center—and said the temporary site will allow the library to keep its programming and hours. "Relocating our library services to Hallie Q. Brown Community Center maintains access and deepens our roots in Rondo," Riley said.

City funding and schedule Staff said the city has budgeted $793,000 in 2025 for the renovation and proposed one-time funding in the 2026 budget for the lease and exterior security during construction. Staff described the project as narrowly scoped to the foyer and immediate safety improvements; other building upgrades are not part of this scope.

Timeline and operations Library staff said lease and facility agreements were finalized in October and that minor work at Hallie Q. Brown would begin immediately. They anticipated the last day of service at the current Rondo location in December and an anticipated first service day at Hallie Q. Brown in January. Staff cautioned that the exact return date to the Rondo building depends on design and construction schedules and said they expect to have firmer dates in early 2026.

Continuity of service and community presence Staff emphasized that the library will maintain hours and most programming at the temporary site, bring collections and digital access where feasible, and continue a visible presence at the University & Dale location during construction. The mobile library and some administrative and maintenance staff will continue to operate from the current location, staff said. Contracted security will monitor the exterior of the closed building during construction.

Questions from board members and staff responses Board members pressed staff for a target reopening date; Director Hartman and other staff said the project is expected to conclude in 2026 but the exact timing will be announced once design and construction schedules are confirmed. Council members also asked about transit access and whether the Rondo loop could provide additional pickup between the library and the temporary site; staff said the loop already stops at MLK and conversations about adjustments and co-hosted programming are underway.

Communications Staff said they will notify patrons through the library website, email to patrons who have marked Rondo as their home branch, newsletters, social media, signage at the building and partner outreach. Staff also said they plan welcome and engagement events in January at the temporary site.

The board did not take a formal vote on the renovation design or construction schedule at the meeting; funding for the renovation was described as coming from the city’s 2025 budget and the proposed 2026 budget for leasing and security was noted.