Brown County Library’s Offer to Purchase Building for Future East Branch Library Is Accepted

Property will replace current 6,000-square-foot leased space on Green Bay’s east side.

After careful consideration and thoughtful deliberation, and upon approval by the Brown County Education and Recreation Committee, the Brown County Library Board of Trustees announces an accepted offer of $975,000 for property that will become the future home of the East Branch Library. 

On Wednesday, July 7, the Ed & Rec Committee approved a resolution to authorize the purchase of the property at 2253 Main Street in east Green Bay for an East Branch Library location. A top priority for the Library Board, the search for a new East Branch Library location is complete after a series of facility studies, assessment, and public comment. 

“We are excited to have taken this critical step toward a new, modern, and innovative library for residents of Brown County,” said Brian Anderson, Library Board President.

“As a vital civic institution, the library is an agent of opportunity for people in our communities. Our East Branch Library is a much-loved, heavily used community resource. A new, improved East Branch library space will include study and meeting rooms as well as special areas for youth and families. When complete, the project will increase accessibility for users of all ages and offer new, enhanced technology, while continuing to deliver outstanding library services citizens of Brown County have grown accustomed to from our libraries,” Anderson added. 

The purchased property is a vacant building that offers 16,300 square feet with additional green space. Its location will make BCL’s East Branch Library a community hub for literacy, learning, innovation, and cultural and economic vitality. BCL currently leases space of 6,000 square feet at 2255 Main Street for the East Branch Library. 

Finalization of the sale is contingent on successful inspections, satisfactory property conditions, and approval by the Brown County Board of Supervisors at its July meeting. Funding for the reimagined library comes in part from Brown County sales-tax monies allocated to Brown County Library. To enhance its impact, Brown County Library is making available a $1.5 million naming-rights opportunity for this branch. Other named locations include the Kress Family (De Pere) and Weyers-Hilliard (Howard) branches.  

Library Executive Director Sarah Sugden emphasizes, “The impact of this important investment in the library will be experienced for generations to come.”  

The Concord Group, a construction-consulting firm, will serve as project manager for the redevelopment of the property, and HGA Architects & Engineers, the library’s design partner, will lead designing the library space for the community to embrace as its own. 

This important project is part of a broad initiative to advance the impact of Brown County Library, which serves over 943,000 community members each year through multiple locations, a bookmobile, and online resources. Earlier this year, the library launched its new brand and plans other facilities and programmatic projects so to increase accessibility, improve technology and foster community.