The renovation of one of the city’s most popular neighborhood libraries is nearing completion, marking its first major update in decades.
The Maplewood Community Library on Dewey Avenue was built in 1959. Since then, little work has been done to modernize the facility.
But on a recent January afternoon, the scent of fresh plaster filled the unassuming brick building interior as contractors finished the last of their work. Every corner of the library is fresh white, awaiting new coats of paint. The original brick exterior walls and exposed steel beams in the ceiling are the only visible remnants of the original structure.
Work renovating and expanding the library began in June 2024, adding just over 2,600 square feet of usable space. The expanded library will include a classroom, a community meeting room, and a “messy craft” area, fit with a sink for easy cleaning of paints and other crafts.
The new library is expected to have its soft opening in March, with a grand opening toward summer. The total cost of the project came in at $8.5 million. The expansion was largely funded by $7.4 million in federal COVID relief funds. An additional $355,000 state grant was awarded to the project in 2024. This month, the Rochester City Council will vote on taking out $317,000 in bonds to complete funding for the project.
“This is one of the libraries in the city of Rochester that really serves as the heartbeat of the local community,” said Emily Clasper, director of the Monroe County Library System (MCLS). “And I think that everybody in this neighborhood would say that they really agree with that.”
While the Maplewood library has been under construction, its services were rendered out of the former Holy Rosary Church on Lexington Avenue. That facility closed to the public on Saturday, as the library began moving its inventory back to the newly renovated space on Dewey.
Beyond the expansion built onto the rear portion of the library, the existing building was “gutted,” Clasper said. Fresh dry wall, plaster, a new handicap accessible entrance on Dewey, and new bathrooms were all part of the renovation.
BJ Scanlon is deputy director of community libraries for MCLS. He said that the goal of the renovation is to position the library to serve the needs of the Maplewood community going forward.
“I think when you look at a branch library, no matter where it is in the city, it is so intricately folded into the community that it is a part of it,” Scanlon said. “Each of our branches is working with the community to tailor a collection and tailor programs and services that respond to the needs of that community.”
Among those programs are services to Rochester’s New American and refugees. A classroom in the new space is planned to be dedicated to educational resources for immigrants. Other key functions of community library are providing entertainment and after-school options for children.
The library expansion will also include a new outdoor play area.
“I think, like all city neighborhoods, things are getting tougher,” Scanlon said. “Inflation is driving up the cost of groceries. People are having a harder time making ends meet. So having a free entertainment space where people can come to do programs, spend time with their neighbors...I think that’s something it’s providing.”
