State and local officials are celebrating progress in the construction of a library in Middletown. The new $25 million Appoquinimink library got its top beam Monday.
The new public space is expected to have child and teen areas, a multi-media production studio, as well as meeting spaces and computers.
It’s going up in the heart of the town, right across the street from a new YMCA which is under construction as well.
“It was important to us that we put this right in the Town of Middletown,” said New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer. “We put it where the people are. And with what DelDOT is doing with transportation along 299 on Main Street, the integration with a potential YMCA, and a lot of the exciting things Mayor Branner and the town council are doing here in Middletown, I think it’s going to be a wonderful treasure for the community for years to come.”
The area’s state Rep. Sherae'a Moore praises the library’s location as well, saying it makes the town more walkable for families. She adds hers is the fastest growing district in the state.
“As we grow we need to make sure we put things into the community for the future and this is where it starts at. So I’m excited,” Moore said.
Meyer calls the new library the greenest building in county history, noting its solar panels, highly efficient HVAC system and car charging stations. All plants in its landscaping will be native to Delaware as well.
A grand opening for the library is planned for next spring. It will replace the old Appoquinimink library, which is much smaller, and it will serve the Middletown-Odessa-Townsend area.
$5 million was also approved in the state’s Fiscal Year 2022 bond bill for a library in North Wilmington.
