Summary
- The Cleveland Public Library (CPL) Board of Trustees passed a resolution to sublease land for and approve the construction of a new Memorial-Nottingham Branch near Euclid Beach Pier; once the new facility is constructed, the current library at 17109 Lakeshore Blvd. will be demolished and its land given to the Cleveland Metroparks.
- CPL has received further funding for its new One Cleveland program, which hosts collaborative events for organizations and the community.
Follow-up questions
- What is the public’s opinion on the plans for a new Memorial-Nottingham Branch?
- Why does the CPL want to construct a Memorial-Nottingham Branch facility a few blocks from the current one? Are there problems with the current location?
Cleveland Public Library to demolish Memorial-Nottingham branch, rebuild near Euclid Beach Pier
The board passed a resolution to sublease land for and approve the construction of a new Memorial-Nottingham Branch near Euclid Beach Pier. Once construction of the new library is complete, the current Memorial-Nottingham Branch facility, a few blocks away from the new site, will be vacated and demolished, and the Lakeshore Boulevard property will be incorporated into the Metroparks’ Euclid Creek Reservation.
This is tied to the Metroparks’ planned improvements to the current Euclid Creek Reservation (Euclid Beach, Villa Angela, and Wildwood Park). The resolution’s proposed schedule aims to begin construction of the new branch in 2028 and have the land transfer completed by 2030. (While this resolution was tabled and not voted on during Tuesday’s joint Finance and Human Resources Committee meeting, the board voted to suspend the regulations governing the approval of the resolution).
Cleveland library projects making progress
Two facilities master plan projects are currently under construction at the Walz and Fleet library branches. The Walz project, according to the project’s website, will “transform the corner of West 80th Street and Detroit Avenue into a vibrant new community hub,” as well as address the branch’s current problems with accessibility, sight lines, maintenance, and its low profile/lack of recognition.
John Lang, chief operating officer for CPL, said the project is now more than 50% complete and on track for occupancy by June 2027 (to then open to the public around August or early September).
The Fleet project, according to the project’s website, aims to transform the branch “into a vibrant, fully renovated community library.” Lang said the ceremonial groundbreaking was in June, and since then has subtracted $400,000 from its estimated construction costs (returning that money to CPL’s contingency fund); completion is set for early fall next year.
The plan for a new AsiaTown branch of the CPL within Mingyue Place has had its drawings submitted to the city for plans review, Lang said. They hope to have estimated costs by the end of the year so the project can begin in 2027 and be completed in 2028.
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Retiree recognized by Cleveland library board
The board recognized Nancy Sommer for her 39.5 years of service at CPL, primarily Eastman Library, where she was a patron as a teenager before working primarily as a library assistant, a board member said. She also worked as a teacher and in other roles at CPL during her career. In her retirement, she is looking forward to traveling with her wife, Iris, and enjoying the many things she has put on hold throughout her career.
Along with being given her certificate of retirement and retiree badge, the Board of Trustees added the novel “Anne of the Island” (1915) by L.M. Montgomery (third in the Anne of Green Gables series), as chosen by Sommer, to their permanent collection in her name. A board member quoted Sommer’s thoughts on the novel, saying: “Despite being over a hundred years old, the story remains timeless because it speaks to what we have in common, such as wanting to love and be loved, to succeed in endeavors, and to strive to be the best people we can be.”
In the meeting, Sommer also thanked the library, saying, “When I married my wife, I knew that this was a place that was open and welcoming to me, and I had spent my entire time here knowing that, and not feeling any hesitation in that. I also really want to thank all of the great people that I worked with, like I said, especially these last five years … they’re a great group of hardworking people.”
There’s more: Read the full notes from this meeting by Documenter Carly Elliot. They include details about a photo exhibit at the Collinwood Branch and resolutions the board passed regarding grants for programming and a donated chess collection.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@signalcleveland.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.
