High hopes for new Westside library

 

Proposed Westside Library (from crlibrary.org)

The Cedar Rapids Public Library plans to open a new west side location in late 2026, on 27 acres of land purchased with a recent estate gift. The new building will replace the Ladd Library, which is located in a former Target store on Williams Boulevard SW. At a reason information session, Executive Director Charity Roberts Tyler explained the library is committed to serving the growing low-income neighborhood around the Ladd location. The project will go out for bid shortly, with groundbreaking expected in the fall, even as fundraising from public and private sources continues. The accelerated timeline is necessitated by the impending end of the Ladd Library lease.

Westside Library site now, from across 20th Ave SW

The library cites the immediate area's population growth as one factor in favor of the new facility. The new facility, like the Ladd Library, will be located in Census Tract 10.05 (which was part of tract 10.03 before 2020). Despite being about 3.5 miles from downtown, 10.05 and its next-door neighbor 10.04 are among the metro's tracts with the highest population density. They are among the lowest rates of owner-occupied housing and single-family homeownership, and among the highest in percent black and percent Hispanic. They arguably suffered the most damage from the 2010 derecho.

Apartments across 20th Avenue

According to the library, the new building will measure about 40,000 square feet, nearly half-again as large as the Ladd space. The increased space will accommodate "larger collection spaces, added community meeting rooms, a larger children's area with dedicated program room, and a new young adult-teen area ("Inspiring Big Dreams" information sheet). They anticipate substantially increasing the current rate of 100,000 visits per year as well.

proposed floor plan (from crlibrary.org)

The library will be located towards the southeast corner of the property, near 20th Avenue almost to Edgewood Road. Most of the rest of the land will be developed into a new city park, at least tentatively called Westside Library Park. The park will include a multi-use court, two picnic shelters, a water feature, multiple gardens, and a lot of green space. The western portion, closest to Wiley Boulevard, will be sold. That leaves by my guesstimate about 15 acres for the park, which will be a wonderful resource for the area and environs for the library. Of course, there will be parking, too--one lot off 18th Avenue, and one off a new north-south street at the west end of the park--but not so much as to overwhelm the property.

Westside Library Park site along 18th Avenue SW

There will be quite a few apartment buildings within easy walking distance of the new library. (To find 27 available acres in such a densely populated area is miraculous.) The plans show sidewalks on the developed property on both the 18th Avenue and 20th Avenue sides. To facilitate children independently accessing the library or park, there should be a sidewalk on the north side of 18th Avenue, as well as mid-block crossing lights on both 18th and 20th.

West Park Village, across 18th Avenue from the library site

Once away from the immediate vicinity, though, walkability goes quickly to pot. This is an area where the suburban development pattern was aggressively pursued: Edgewood Road, 16th Avenue, Wiley Boulevard, and Williams Boulevard are all wide, high-traffic, high-speed "stroads" that form a ring of danger around the library site. 

Edgewood Road approaching 16th Avenue SW

Residents of the Cedar Terrace Apartments on 12th Avenue, for example, will be only one-third of a mile from the new library, but must make their way across 16th Avenue with its 10,000-15,000 cars per day and 40 mph speed limit. Residents of Cedar Point Townhomes on Westdale Parkway will be 2000 feet away, but must cross both Williams Boulevard and Edgewood Road to get there. Van Buren Elementary School is a mile away, and... you get the idea.

There is talk of connecting the property to the trails system via the Edgewood Trail which will run along Wiley. Bus lines 8, 10 and 12 run close to the site, though none is running more frequently than once every 30 minutes (route 8) this summer, and all are rather circuitous. All of these efforts at accessibility would be made more effective by measures aimed at slowing motor vehicle traffic.

The Westside Library proposal is one of the best ideas around for improving the city. The library provides a vital service, and the new facility will deliver it even better. The proposal is made with careful attention to residents of the immediate neighborhood. The city needs to support the library by doing what it can to make that part of town less dangerous for non-car mobility.

SEE ALSO: Big Dreams | Cedar Rapids Public Library (crlibrary.org)