Crafted for Collaboration Cuyahoga County Public Library expands Solon branch, adds tech-forward Innovation Center Story & photos by Scott Esterly
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n mid-March, local dignitaries, library officials and eager local patrons gathered to celebrate the grand opening of a $6.5 million, 3,927-foot addition at the Solon branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library. Located in the heart of the city at 34125 Portz Parkway, the library has undergone a substantial addition and renovation, highlighted by its brand-new Innovation Center, which was made possible thanks to a partnership with the Swagelok Foundation. The beginnings of the addition took root in the pre-pandemic days of 2019. At that time, the City of Solon had identified a need for a technology hub or incubator space where entrepreneurs and businesses could access emerging technologies and explore new business opportunities. Meanwhile, the Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL) system already had a similar initiative: Innovation Centers, technology-focused spaces within several library branches. “Cuyahoga County Public Library Foundation board member Bill Russo made the connection between the city and the library,” says Jeffery Mori, chief operations officer for CCPL. “We have a business model where we provide support and training to library staff and continue to update the spaces and keep
them modern. They have great open hours and a known location.” Once the light-bulb moment of connecting a future innovation lab with the library took place, discussions began in earnest. “The city ended up reaching out to our CEO Tracy Strobel and they talked, and it seemed like a great partnership,” Mori says. “The library invited CBLH Design to come to a preliminary meeting and they did the initial design. The city was very supportive of it, and the Solon library branch was already on our radar for potential enhancement.” Fast-forward to today, and the Solon addition is now the largest and most technologically advanced of the library’s eight innovation centers county-wide, providing free access
to design software and a vast array of equipment – including a CNC waterjet cutter, sublimation printer, vacuum former, laser engraver, large format printer, embroidery machine, 3D printer, mug press, garment printer, vinyl printer/cutter and more – along with training that supports regional workforce development.
Timeline + team
The Solon branch library was built and first opened in 1988. About 16 years ago, CBLH Design designed an addition for the building. CBLH was again brought onboard for this project in October 2019. COVID-19 brought the project to a temporary halt in 2020, but in January 2023, the project got a jumpstart and two months after that the design process began in earnest. www.propertiesmag.com 13