FORT WORTH, Texas — After months of uncertainty, the Fort Worth Public Library announced it will ask city council to vote on purchasing a building for a new downtown library branch.
Fort Worth City Council is scheduled to vote on the purchase Aug. 13, according to a press release from the Fort Worth Public Library. The library sold its central location, at 500 W. 3rd St., in 2023. Since then, the city has backed out of purchasing a new downtown location and opened up a small "express" location at City Hall.
The proposed permanent site, at t 512 W. 4th St., is a historic building currently serving as the headquarters for the nonprofit Center for Transforming Lives, the release states. That nonprofit plans to move to a larger facility at the end of the year.
“This historic building holds a special place in the hearts of Fort Worth residents and is a testament to Fort Worth’s dedication to preserving our city’s history while advancing our future to meet the evolving needs of our diverse community,” Council Member Elizabeth Beck, who represents downtown, said.
In an interview with WFAA on Thursday, Beck said the return of a central library is one of the biggest issues her constituents said they wanted.
"The plan was always to have a replacement downtown library. It took us a little longer than we anticipated to get that done, but I think that the wait has been well worth it," Beck said. "I'm excited to see what we’re able to bring back to the community in that space."
Christine Voigt, a Fort Worth resident, has attended several city meetings and advocated for a central library.
"I'm still shocked that they closed that library down," Voigt said. "Fort Worth deserves a nice downtown central library."
Ever since the former site's closure, Voigt has had to drive 30 minutes to get to the nearest branch location. Voigt loved the former site for the way it made genealogical research easily accessible. She's glad to hear the city is proposing a new downtown location but has a few concerns about the proposed building due to its age.
"I think the citizens of Fort Worth who use the libraries deserve more: a new library, state of the art with underground parking that will house all of the non-digital collections and give people places to meet," Voigt said. "I think it would be better than nothing, which is what we have now, but I'm not sure that that building is what the city of Fort Worth deserves."
Voigt said she's worried $6.5 million won't be enough to renovate the historic building.
"I had the exact same concern when we talked about purchasing this building," Beck said. "One of the things that was important to me was that if we take on this building, that we do right by it. That means that we are budgeting the appropriate amount to maintain this historic piece of property."
Portions of the building are protected under the historic registry. The parts of the building that are not protected will require major renovations, the release states. The library did not immediately release information on how much the building will cost but said, pending council approval, a $6.5 million renovation could begin in early 2025.
The city plans to pay for the renovation using the proceeds from the $18 million sale of the library's central branch.
“Since arriving in Fort Worth in January I have heard loud and clear from the community they want a downtown library and we will find ways to continue to engage with residents about how this new location is developed," said Library Director Midori Clark, who took over the department in Jan. 2024.