The Carmel Clay Public Library will lease space in the Merchants’ Square shopping center while its Main Library facility undergoes a two-year expansion and renovation project. The Merchants’ Square site, which was formerly home to Marsh Supermarket, will serve as the library’s primary facility while construction is underway at 55 4th Ave. SE. Library service will shift to the temporary location in September.
The Main Library project is the result of nearly three years of planning. Key areas of the Main Library project include the following:
- A parking garage and improved traffic flow on the south side of the facility
- Increased capacity for events and programs
- Expanded space for teens
- Increased seating and meeting space for study and tutoring
- Moving the Digital Media Lab from its current offsite location into the Main Library
- Outdoor spaces for additional program opportunities
Since the opening of the current Main Library in 1999, the library’s service population has doubled. Annual library checkouts reached nearly 2.2 million in 2019. CCPL’s locations were visited by over 600,000 people last year, and over 72,000 people attended programs and events offered by the library.
Design and construction for the Main Library project are taking place in partnership with RATIO Architects (Architect), Skillman Corporation (Construction Manager), and the Veridus Group (Owner’s Representative).