Community Digs In for New Library in Plainwell
Ransom District Library - July 25 2019
A project that was approved by local voters a year ago is just about to begin in Plainwell.
The newest version of the Ransom District Library will open in 2020, after the July 25th official groundbreaking on the opposite side of the parking lot where the current library resides. The original library, erected in 1903, was also on the same site at the corner of Allegan Street (M-89) and Sherwood Drive. The current library opened in 1973.
The new Ransom will be 20,000 square feet and will take roughly a year to construct. Two local companies are involved in the project. TowerPinkster is the architect of the new facility, with CSM Group as the construction manager for the project.
In August 2018, 67 percent of local voters approved a $6.2 million bond for the new library. The project is currently budgeted for $7 million. According to Director Joe Gross, the plans for the new building have been in motion for several years, with roughly $800,000 saved to fill the shortfall.
Some of the other small details are still being determined, including the possible inclusion of the cornerstone and time capsule from the current library.
Once the new Ransom is completed, it is expected to take another three-to-four months for the demolition of the current library.
Gross commented before the official groundbreaking, stating the new Ransom will be "20,000 square feet of information, culture and togetherness".
The library's district includes the City of Plainwell and Gun Plain Township in Allegan County, and the northern portion of Cooper Township in Kalamazoo County. Those that attend Plainwell, Otsego and Gull Lake are also part of the district, along with Cooper Township residents that attend Parchment.