The library is part of the city’s plan to revitalize the plaza. The shopping center is on the 6100 block of Brandt Pike, one of the busiest roads in the city.
Jayne Klose, community engagement manager for the Dayton Metro Library system, said the Huber Heights branch, which is located at 6160 Chambersburg Rd., is one of the busiest branches in the region. She said Huber Heights has been the highest-circulating branch in the first six months of the year, with 156,711 items checked out.
“Very high circulation, high attendance at children’s programming,” Klose said. “It’s just a busy branch and in particular there’s a need for meeting and study spaces.”
Jeff Gore, the mayor of Huber Heights, attended the meeting Wednesday night. He said the new library addresses a need for community spaces in the city. He noted the space can be used even after library hours because it has its own entrance.
“So it really is a unique space and that’s one of the things that we don’t have a lot of here in the city,” said Gore, who said he was “really, really glad” to see the space incorporated.
The library will have two entrances, with one off Brandt Pike and a parking lot at the back of the building. Klose said the architects planned it so anyone walking to the library, using the bus or driving there would have the same experience entering the building.
Klose said there is also a large living room-like area in the building where there will be a fireplace, cozy seating and spaces to read magazines and newspapers. She said the idea for the room came from community input.
Klose noted one particular need not addressed in the current library is space for teens. She said when the libraries were built, people primarily thought about adults and children needing spaces. But teens need their own spaces to study, hang out, use computers or read. Klose said the new library will have dedicated space just for teens.
Construction on the library is expected to start in spring of 2022 and the library is expected to open in spring 2023.
About the Author
