Je erson County Public Library Board approves purchase of land for Candelas library

steps that will create a library for the

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

A new Je erson County Public Library Branch is possibly on the horizon for residents of Candelas. On July 20, JCPL’s board unanimously voted to sign a purchase and sale agreement for $3.6 million for a 9.4acre site in northwest Arvada.

e site is located between Wilkerson Court, 92nd Avenue and Candelas Parkway. e project is included in JCPL’s 5-year Capital Improvement Plan and is therefore fully funded.

e library is slated for completion in late 2025 or early 2026.

e land is being sold to JCPL by the Je ery L. Nading Trust. Before the deal closes, JCPL will perform due diligence at the site and take soil samples and environmental studies to ensure the property will be a good t for the library.

“Once our due diligence steps are complete, we will continue our engagement e orts to hear from the community about their speci c desires for library services for the future on this site,” JCPL Executive Director Donna Walker said. JCPL’s spokesperson said the library will be roughly 30,000 square feet upon completion. e property search for a library site in west Arvada began in July 2022.

At the July 20 meeting, board members discussed west Arvada as convenient library services,” Walker said.

Currently, JCPL operates a holds locker in Candelas, where people can order and return materials locally using the library’s website. e proposed library in Candelas would become the 13th in the JCPL system, including the Express Library in west Arvada.

“A new library in northwest Arvada will provide greater access to information and opportunities to help JCPL ful ll its mission to the residents in this area and Je erson County as a whole,” Kim Johnson, the library board chair said. “ is project would not be possible without the trust shown by the citizens of Je erson County in passing the 2015 mill levy.”

Arvada Mayor Marc Williams — a former JCPL board member — voiced his support for the new library.

“We are thrilled by the decision of the Library Board to acquire land in northwest Arvada for the next JCPL library,” Williams said. “Libraries are an important component of what makes great communities for our very youngest pre-readers to our young at heart senior citizens. Our libraries are a hub of activity and learning opportunities; plus, nothing beats a good book.”

Je erson County Commissioner Tracy Kraft- arp also praised the decision to build a library in northwest Arvada.