Ferndale wraps up library renovation project

Construction workers will wrap up the renovation of the Ferndale Public Library on the eastern edge of downtown by the end of May. The library will close its temporary location on May 21 so it can start moving books and other materials to the newly refurbished building on 9 Mile Road, just east of Woodward Avenue. An opening is set for June 28.”Our hope is it will serve as a focal point for attracting attention to the east of Woodward area,” says Doug Raber, director of the Ferndale Public Library.The library is going for silver LEED certification, thanks to a plethora of environmentally friendly features. Among the big-ticket features are a geothermal heating system, a gray water recycling system, and a partial green roof. The most environmentally friendly factor is the reuse of a circa-1954 structure.The renovation adds another 10,000 square feet, rounding out the structure to 21,000 square feet. That means more meeting room space fronting 9 Mile, a new area for teens, and a new children’s room facing Troy Street. “It’s almost a library within a library,” Raber says.The addition, paid for by a one-mill millage increase last year, will give the library space to bump up its staff from four to 10. It will also provide the funds to double the library’s purchasing budget for books and other media, such as audio books and CDs.Source: Doug Raber, director of the Ferndale Public LibraryWriter: Jon Zemke