Plans released for new Burkhardt library in East Dayton

The new Burkhardt branch is among the last remaining projects in the Dayton Metro Library’s massive, system-wide facilities upgrade program, which dates back to a voter-supported bond issue in 2012.

The new Burkhardt branch will be constructed at 4704 Burkhardt Ave.

The new facility will be 18,000 square feet and will have many amenities and features patrons and residents said they wanted during community input sessions, said Diane Farrell, director of external relations and development with the Dayton Metro Library.

Residents wanted space for activities like cooking, yoga, cards and gaming, crafts and art shows, she said.

The new branch will have a community room that is accessible before and after regular hours, an “opportunity space" and a variety of small meeting rooms and conference rooms, Farrell said.

There will be designated spaces for kids, teens and adults, she said, and the children’s area will have a theme of “soaring beyond” to inspire imagination, achievement and exploration.

The new Burkhardt branch will be constructed on the site of the former Columbian Hall, which was a banquet and conference facility. The hall will be demolished before construction begins.

The building project is expected to go out for bid in early 2021, with construction beginning in early spring, Farrell said.

Most of the newly constructed branches have taken 12 to 14 months to complete.

This week, the Dayton Board of Zoning Appeals approved two variance requests in support of the new library project.

The current branch facility at 4680 Burkhardt Ave. (which is about 9,000 square feet) will be torn down to make way for a new restricted parking lot, Lumpkin said.

The new building will be made from brick in various colors and will contain a section of gold and yellow metal, according to city documents.

After years of searching for an appropriate property for the new branch facility, the library was fortunate to get land at the corner of Burkhardt and Shelborne avenues, said Walter Murch, president of the Eastern Hills Community Council in a letter in support of the variances.