Prosper Town Council members reviewed the library’s master plan, a multi-volume document assessing the Prosper Community Library's current and future needs, during a Jan. 15 meeting.
No action was taken Jan. 15 as council member Amy Bartley and other officials said they would need to see more options and next steps before they ask residents to approve funding for a project.
The breakdown
The master plan, which can be viewed here, took a holistic look at the library’s offerings, spacing needs, community engagement and more. It was created by 720 design, an architectural firm first hired by the town in April.
“They've assessed our current and future needs, aligned recommendations with state standards and best practices and provided thoughtful options for consideration,” Library Services Director Gary Landeck said.
At just under 10,000 square feet, the library is one of the smallest in the state for a community of Prosper’s size, Landeck said.
The master plan did include two suggestions for the library, both of which would need resident-approved bond funding and involve building a space that would more than quadruple the facility’s existing size:
- A 71,900-square-foot library facility that would serve the community until the town reaches buildout in 2055
- A 49,700-square-foot library facility that would serve the community until 2033 and require further expansion to accommodate a built-out Prosper's population
The two options would both cost millions of dollars—at least $64 million for option one and $50 million for option two—but either choice would increase the library’s collection and bring in the services that residents have been asking for, according to the master plan.
Bartley said she would prefer to see a third option before approving anything.
“Most adult users of our library, something like 60%, use digital,” she said. “To me, this plan is...unrealistic in the square footage of what we would build here.”
Zooming in
As part of the master plan process, multiple Prosper residents took part in an online survey and community workshops to discuss what they would want out of a new library.
The spaces most requested by the 565 people who took the online survey were:
- A larger collection
- Designated teen and children’s spaces
- Technology and maker spaces
- Outdoor reading spaces and reading decks
Multiple respondents also noted a need for different library operating hours, which the library is already changing, according to a meeting presentation.
What comes next
Discussions surrounding the library are expected to continue at the council's next few meetings. Once a facility size is chosen, the town would then need to pick a location and add the plans to the November 2025 bond for residents to approve funding.
If one of the two already-discussed options are chosen and approved by the voters, it would take roughly 48 months for the new space to open, according to meeting documents.
