FRISCO, Texas — What do you get when you have an old warehouse that used to be a factory manufacturing rocket parts? Well, the City of Frisco saw a potential library in it.
This "adaptive reuse project" converted the space into the new Frisco Public Library, opening Saturday, into a high-tech space three times the size of the city's previous library.
The new space spans about 158,068 feet compared to the previous library's 50,000 square feet. Its architectural and interior design were inspired by Blackland Prairie, with its carpet, colors and Storytime "starry night sky" lit ceiling meant to reflect the Texas prairie.
The project cost about $62 million and was funded by voter-approved bonds.
Tech amenities at the library include self-checkout, an online reservation system for study and conference rooms, text-confirmed confirmations and AR/VR holographic computers.
The library has 210 computers, 77 screens and 93 wi-fi access points.
Children visiting the library will be able to enjoy "Tiny Town," where the Ready to Read Railroad will be returning, along with a pretend market, construction site and veterinarian clinic.
The centerpiece of the new library is Rexy, a 22-foot tall, 42-foot-long T-Rex model. Library patrons named the dinosaur through a naming contest.
There are about 284,000 items in the library, with about 22% of them being digital.
The library will also host events such as puppet shows, cooking demos and equipment demonstrations from the library's makerspace. For more info, visit the library's website here.
New hours for the library are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.