LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Officials announced on Tuesday one of the Louisville Free Public Library branches being renovated is expected to open in March 2025.
Louisville leaders originally closed the Parkland Library in the 1980s because of budget cuts.
Now, the James Graham Brown Foundation donated the remaining $1.5 million in June to finish this renovation, and four other library projects.
Some of the other projects include building a brand new library in Fern Creek and renovating the main library campus in downtown Louisville.
Officials involved with the project credit the community for giving it momentum.
"The library had a master plan in 2008 that laid out all of the capital development that would happen across Jefferson County over the next 12 or 14 years, reopening the Parkland Library was not part of that plan," Executive Director Lee Burcham said. "This is happening because a group of citizens got together and rallied together behind the idea of reopening this library."
The Parkland Library will have 15 staff members whose positions will hopefully be filled by January.
People in the Parkland neighborhood went to see the new improvements, and stepped into a renovated room they hadn't seen in years.
Ed Laster said it brought back many fond memories.
"The library was one of those things I drove past on a number of occasion and I think, gosh, I used to love that place, I used to hang in that place, it was one of my refuges," Laster said.
As for the Main Library, the city needs to finalize the designs.
They aim to open the new Fern Creek Library in 2026.
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