SOUTH BEND — Starting Nov. 25, the Centre Branch Library at 1150 E. Kern Road will close for about a year for a $1.5 million renovation that will create new study rooms, upgrade meeting rooms, and build an outdoor story trail and nature play area.
It is the first of the major upgrades that the St. Joseph County Public Library will make to its branches. The 10-year “Our Next Chapter” plan is aimed at modernizing the branches, after the main downtown library was recently expanded and revamped.
The Centre Branch will receive new energy-efficient lighting, updated carpet and furnishings and new interior paint, according to a recent announcement from the library system.
The study rooms will provide quiet spaces for individual work, group study and collaboration. The outdoor trail and nature play area will include native plants.
“The updates at Centre Branch are just the beginning of our larger vision for SJCPL,” Stephanie Murphy, the library system’s executive director, said. “After years of planning, we’re thrilled to see this renovation come to life, and we’re confident that these enhancements will be well worth the wait.”
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The Centre Branch is expected to reopen in fall 2025.
You can read more about the proposed upgrades in the “Our Next Chapter” plan at www.sjcpl.org/our-next-chapter. The site’s timeline suggests that work could turn to the Western, LaSalle and Lakeville branches in 2025.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Centre Branch Library to close for renovations nature play area
