FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Cynthia Cobb, Lee County Library System
(941) 479-4620

CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN ON CAPE CORAL LIBRARY EXPANSION

FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 14, 2001) – The Board of Lee County Commissioners will break ground Friday (Mar. 16) on the expansion of the Cape Coral Library – a project that will double the size of the facility from 19,800 square feet to 40,000 square feet.

The groundbreaking will be at 1 p.m. at the library, 921 S.W. 39^th Terrace.

The $5-million project will provide much needed new space and equipment for the system’s busiest library, which opened in July 1986. The Cape Coral Library accounts for 24 percent of Lee County Library System registered borrowers, 26 percent of reference questions and 21 percent of circulated materials. With the expansion, the library will purchase more than 50,000 new volumes, add 60 computer stations, increase staff by 13 people, and add more parking.

Existing areas will be renovated and will house children’s resources, while the addition will accommodate adult resources, including a new computer area and a 150-seat meeting room. There will be study rooms and a storytime room. And a gallery will feature areas for display of art, collectibles and oversize books.

The anticipated construction schedule is:

September 2001 – completion of new section.
October 2001 – move into new section.
October 2001 to April 2002 – remodeling of existing building.

The construction manager for the project is W.G. Mills and the architect is Schenkel Schultz. The county held two town meetings in August 2000 to receive public input on the plans.

The Lee County Library System has three regional libraries, eight branch libraries, and special services including a Bookmobile, a Talking Books library, a Books-By-Mail program and a Family Literacy Program. The Library System circulates more than 2.5 million books annually, adds 100,000 new books to its collection each year and has public Internet access at all of its locations. It currently is completing construction of its newest location, the 40,000-square-foot East County Regional Library in Lehigh Acres.

For more information about the Library System, visit www.lee-county.com/library.