Feb. 16, 2023 6:15p
(WGTD)---Plans for a mixed-use development on a block in Kenosha’s Uptown that was heavily damaged by the 2020 riots materialized just a few month later. But only recently was it learned that the storefronts and upper-floor apartments would include a new library.
A 7,500 sq. ft. library dedicated to children is expected to open in spring of 2024.
Speaking on a recent edition of WGTD’s Community Matters, Kenosha Public Library Director Barbara Brattin said it made a lot of sense to put a children’s library in the Gorman & Co. development. In addition to the area being rocked by the riots, the neighborhood is home to a diverse population of children that score much lower in standardized reading tests than kids from other parts of the city.
Planners are thinking long and hard about how the library should look, and just what types of activities and materials it should include, according to Brattin. Early childhood learning experts from UW-Parkside and Carthage are providing input. The overarching idea will be to inspire.
The new children’s library will NOT mean the closure of the small Uptown Library located a couple of blocks to the west. The focus of that branch will shift to serving teens and adults.
The new library is being financed with $1.5 million in COVID relief funds. In addition, the Kenosha Library Foundation hopes to raise $1 million to furnish the library and provide seed money for an endowment fund.
The new library is expected to open in the spring of 2024.
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