All Local, All The Time
All Local, All The Time
Gunbarrel Library branch to open in former bank building.
A long-anticipated library branch of the Boulder Public Library District (BPLD) is being prepared for opening next year. A five-year renewable lease agreement was reached for use of the now-unoccupied former FirstBank building and property at the intersection of Spine Road and Lookout Road in Gunbarrel.
At a May 14 meeting of the district board of trustees, David Farnan, Director of the BPLD, enumerated the outstanding amenities and features of the physical structure and location for the library. In recommending the approval of the lease agreement for Gunbarrel property to the board, Farnan said, "It is in the heart of town center. It has high visibility along Lookout Rd and is across the street from the busiest location-King Soopers. It has nearly 10,000 square feet of space, a sizable parking lot and minimal modifications associated with making it library ready. It is also our intent to use a portion of the space to off-set some of Carnegie Library for Local History's immediate storage needs for at least 4-5 years, perhaps longer."
Chris Barge, Executive Director of the Boulder Library Foundation (BLF), expressed his unbridled enthusiasm for the library services that would be available to residents. He began his announcement to BLF supporters in the foundation's May 16, 2024 newsletter, "Dear library enthusiast, if you live in or near Gunbarrel, we have some library news that you and your neighbors have been waiting generations to hear."
Funding for the new branch was made possible by passage of county-wide ballot measure 6C in 2022 which approved formation of the Boulder Library District. This provided for an increase in property taxes in exchange for "ballot promises" including creation of a Gunbarrel library branch. The Gunbarrel library's annual lease cost of $150,000, maintenance and insurance estimate of $41,000 and one-time capital costs of $1.0-1.5 million are all included in the 2024 Boulder Public Library District budget.
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