Burnsville library outlines renovation, temporary mall location and new services

Chad Lubbers, manager of Dakota County's Burnsville Library, told the Burnsville City Council the library closed in April for a full interior renovation and is operating temporarily on the top floor of Burnsville Center Mall between the former Macy's and JCPenney. "We closed in April, so we've been in the mall now for about 2 months," Lubbers said, adding the project remains on schedule for a spring 2027 reopening.

Lubbers said high demand for public meeting space drove part of the renovation plan. "The Burnhaven Library also has a large demand for public meeting space," he said, noting the library's two meeting rooms together accommodated nearly 20,000 uses last year. To respond, the remodel will add two six-person conference rooms and expand the children's area to include interactive and educational play resources.

The renovation will also include mechanical upgrades and new program spaces. Lubbers said crews are replacing original 1972 plumbing and electrical systems, installing a new HVAC and a new roof. To serve patrons seeking quiet, the plan adds an enclosed glassed-in study area: "We're gonna have an enclosed quiet study area, so we'll have a glassed in area where hopefully we will have very, very minimal noise." He emphasized the design balances active children's programming with quiet study needs.

Lubbers described outreach and partnerships used while the main building is closed. Homework-help sessions moved to the YMCA; weekly story times are hosted at the Diamond Head Center; an AARP tax clinic for seniors was held at the senior center; and a local board game cafe, Fox Den, is hosting an expanded library book club. He said the city's public safety teams helped relocate a library harm reduction station and Narcan distribution to the mall to preserve confidentiality for patrons seeking the medication.

Lubbers also displayed a map showing blood donations collected at library drives over two years, saying the donations reached clinics across roughly a 21,000-square-mile area, including locations in South Dakota and Wisconsin. "This is how I know I work in a community that's very focused on supporting one another," he said.

Council members praised staff and asked clarifying questions about outdoor space and tree plantings; Lubbers described the east-side patio as being at the planning stage and said staff hope to add shade trees, including honeycrisp apple trees, as part of the landscaping. The presentation was informational; no action or vote was required by the council.