Stark Library Chooses New Over Old

CANTON, Ohio (News Talk 1480 WHBC) – It could take five years or more before we walk inside a new downtown Canton main library building.

That’s the timeline for Stark Library to replace the existing Market Avenue N facility, with planning and design underway this year.

Then in 2024 comes construction of a new operations center on Cleveland Avenue NW serving all Stark Library locations.

In 2026, the new library building starts to go up, north of the current building.

Stark Library says they looked at keeping the current 114,000 square foot downtown Canton main library and renovating it and even hired an architectural firm.

But they concluded it would cost at least another $10 million to do an update.

The price tag on a new, smaller and more efficient building on the same property on Market Avenue N is estimated at $54 million.

Stark Library says they won’t need to ask for a tax increase to fund the new building;

The library system announced its plans two weeks ago.