MAITLAND, Fla. — Maitland officials will break ground next week on a new public library that city leaders say will nearly double the size of the current facility and expand space for programs, collections and community use.
The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 7, at Quinn Strong Park next to the Art & History Museums of Maitland at 231 W. Packwood Ave.
City officials said the public is invited to attend a short program featuring speakers, project representatives, informational displays, food and refreshments. Covered seating will be available.
The new library will be a 20,000-square-foot facility built on the north side of the park near Packwood Avenue and Maitland Avenue. It will replace the current library at 501 S. Maitland Ave. and is expected to cost nearly $16 million.
Construction is expected to take about 17 months.
The new building will include expanded room for collections, staff work areas, displays, meetings and public programming.
To make room for the project, the city plans to remove a vacant office building and the facility currently used for the senior center along Maitland Avenue. Officials said senior recreation programs will move to other city facilities.
The city’s library history dates back to 1896, when Clara Dommerich donated 360 books that were first housed in a teacher’s living room before being moved into an empty storefront on Horatio Avenue.
A dedicated library building opened in 1907 after the creation of the Maitland Library Association. While that facility expanded several times over the decades, city leaders said it no longer meets current space needs and has limited room for further renovation.
A 2017 city study found that major construction upgrades to the existing building would reduce usable interior space.
In 2020, city council members selected Quinn Strong Park as the preferred location for a new library campus, placing it near both the current library site and the museum complex.
Officials later gathered community feedback through public meetings and surveys before finalizing plans.
Nearly 62% of voters approved public financing for the project in a 2024 referendum.
HBM Architects designed the library, and Turner Construction Company will oversee construction.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2026 Cox Media Group
