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Chaska and Carver County launch joint design process for new Chaska library; county estimates $4M contribution
Summary
City of Chaska and Carver County described an 18‑month joint design process for a proposed ~35,000 sq ft Chaska library near the license center; county staff cited a preliminary $4 million one‑time contribution and budgetary requests for 7 FTEs, with final costs dependent on schematic design.
City of Chaska leaders and county staff presented early plans for a new library intended to replace the current undersized 8,000 sq ft facility and serve a larger eastern‑Carver County population.
“One of the things that we do…is reevaluate our strategic plan,” the Chaska mayor told the board while explaining the city’s multi‑building program and the library’s place in it. City staff said the target facility size is about 35,000 square feet — comparable to Chanhassen’s library — and discussed opportunities for site adjacency and shared parking near the county’s license center.
Matt (city staff, voice S2) described an 18‑month design schedule beginning with an architect RFP, formation of a library task force (8 members) and a weekly staff design group. County staff outlined responsibilities: the city would fund building capital and facilities maintenance; the county would provide collections, technology and staffing. County preliminary assumptions include a one‑time county contribution estimated at $4,000,000 and an operational request of 7 full‑time equivalent (FTE) positions, both subject to change as design is refined.
County staff said financing options under consideration include using YES funds or incorporating the county contribution into a government‑center bond sale. Commissioners discussed tradeoffs — staffing levels, programming versus security, and whether multiple large libraries in eastern Carver County would create long‑term staffing and levy pressures. “A 35,000 square foot library is a big investment,” one commissioner said, noting the potential levy implications and the importance of smart design to constrain ongoing operating costs.
Staff asked the board to identify a county commissioner to serve on the task force and signaled a plan to release the architect RFP within weeks, begin selecting finalists in May, and convene the first task‑force meeting in early summer. The design timeline anticipates bidding in 2028 and a potential opening in 2029–2030 depending on schedule and funding.
The board did not take formal funding actions during the work session; staff will return with RFP materials, formal task‑force appointments and refined cost estimates after schematic design work.
