The city of Friendswood held a ground breaking ceremony March 31 to mark the start of an expansion and renovations to the Friendswood Public Library. "I'm super excited," Library Director Mary Perroni said. "We've been talking about [renovations] for probably 20 years, so it's a very exciting time at the library." Mayor Kevin Holland addressed a crowd of about 30 people at the event held near the existing library parking lot. Friendswood City Council members, library board officials and Ardent Construction—the Friendswood-based contractors selected for the renovations—were also in attendance. "Fifty years ago the Friendswood library began as a collection of books," Holland said. "Thanks to the hard work of the library board, Friends of the Friendswood Library [and] the library staff and numerous volunteers, the Friendswood Public Library has become a large collection of books and literature—plus many other learning tools and programs." The $2.53 million project will add 6,000 square feet to the library for meeting spaces, books and computers. The plan also includes the addition of parking spaces. Construction is expected to span about a year and complete in spring 2016, officials said. Beginning April 6, the library's restroom will be closed to the public for an estimated four to six weeks as construction progresses, officials said. "We know there will be challenges [during the renovations]," Perroni said. "We're going to do our best to be open to the public as much as possible during the construction, and we hope the public will bear with us. And when we're done, it'll be a wonderful space for the community."