City of Fort Worth
Fort Worth city officials last week said they have identified a site for the Fort Worth Public Library full-service branch downtown.
The mayor and City Council on Tuesday are expected to approve funds to lease and renovate space at 100 Main St.
The expected vote of approval will alleviate some anxiety over the location of the new library since the sale of the Central Library at 500 W. Third St. For the first time since at least 1901, when the Carnegie Public Library was constructed, there wasn’t a library in downtown, though staff and elected officials both said it was only a matter of finding space.
“I am glad to see library services return in downtown,” said District 9 Councilwoman Elizabeth Beck. “I look forward to working with residents and library staff on ways to enhance those services to meet the needs of the community this branch will service.”
The council voted to approve the sale of the Third Street site to a real estate developer for $18 million in December. That library was the third permanent location in downtown since 1901.
“We know there is a keen interest in having a Fort Worth Public Library back in downtown and we are eager to move forward on this project,” said Marilyn Marvin, interim library director.
The space the council will consider is the 8,700-square-foot bottom floor of the building that sits at the well-traveled corner of Weatherford and Main streets, directly in front of the Tarrant County Courthouse. The county’s administration offices sit across the street on Main, to the east.The Fort Worth Public Library has 17 full-service locations across the city. An 18th location, the Fort Worth History Center, provides access to local history and genealogy resources and serves as the City of Fort Worth Municipal Archives.
“We know that our patrons want us to offer programs and activities for all ages downtown, and that’s what this library will do,” Marvin said. “It will be exciting to see how our staff will use the space to the fullest to resume providing excellent customer experiences.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story erroneously stated that there would be parking available on-site. There is no parking available on-site, though city officials said they they were exploring a drive-thru option.