The city of San Diego broke ground Thursday on a new library in the Oak Park neighborhood.
The new branch is being built at the northern edge of Chollas Park. Community members said the existing branch is well-loved but outdated. The building is more than 50 years old.
“They just don't have the space to include everything that they want to do and all the people that want to come,” said Rebecca Mezzocchi, who lives near Chollas Park.
Plans for the new branch began in 2016 when the Friends of Oak Park Library and Community Council started a grassroots campaign.
“We have worked so much for this,” said Elida Chavez, the president of the Friends of the Oak Park Library.
The community has been very supportive of their efforts, Chavez said.
“Without each other, this would not happen because they continually call me at wee hours of the night, 'Did you do this? Did you do that?',” she said.
San Diego City Councilmember Henry Foster III recognized all the hard work from the community that went into making the new library a reality.
“They were there lock and step every step of the way," he said. "And so my heart is full. I am so excited, so happy for the community and just happy for our youth.”
The new library will be built at the site of an old water treatment facility near Chollas Lake. It will be two stories and nearly four times the size of the existing library, which sits a few blocks away. It will have room for new programs and services, including an innovation and technology lab for STEAM projects.
“This is going to be perfect. It's beautiful," Mezzocchi said. "There's natural spaces. Kids can read a book, they can play and it's right by our house.”
The city estimates construction will cost $37.3 million, with more than $29 million coming from state library grants.
The construction comes as the city grapples with a budget deficit that could lead to hours being cut at some library branches.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said the facility is needed in the historically underserved area.
"It is, I acknowledge, can be confusing when we're talking about reductions with new facilities, but this has been in the works for 10 years," he said. "Millions have already been dedicated toward it, and we're going to finish it off and deliver for this neighborhood."
The new library is expected to be completed by spring 2028.
Mezzocchi hopes it will become a "third place" for the community.
“It's a place you can spend a whole day," she said. "You can enjoy your time at the lake, be in nature, wildlife, take in a baseball game and come to the library as well.”
