CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Charleston Town Center Mall will be welcoming a new tenant this summer, one often not seen in malls.
The Kanawha County Public Library signed a 3-year lease with the mall on Tuesday morning to temporarily move its downtown Charleston library while its current location is begin renovated.
The announcement was made in a ceremony inside the mall with comments from the Kanawha County Public Library’s Board of Directors, Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin and the representatives of Charleston Town Center.
Board of Directors President Monika Jaensson called the move, expected to take place this summer, “significant on several fronts.”
“We will not be moving our entire collection to the mall but we will be moving our most popular collection into the mall,” she told MetroNews.
“We will be placing the remainder of the collection into storage. It is a significant undertaking as you might expect.”
Jaensson said the exact location inside the mall for the library has yet to be determined but hinted at multiple locations on the second floor.
She hinted the library will have a storefront type space where programming will be provided along with collections and library space. Other locations might include the computers, networking and office space for the library, not a retail environment.
“I don’t think that any of our patrons will see any tremendous difference in the services we provide, other than a rare book may be in storage,” she said.
Library officials have been looking at the mall for “quite some time” Jaenesson said. According to her, it became an easy agreement once Goodwin became involved.
The library signed a 3-year lease even though the project for the renovation’s downtown is expected to be completed by February 2022.
Jaenesson said the third and final year of the deal will offer the library an opportunity to see if the two parties could have an extended future together.
“They will be able to get their books and spend time in their programming space here,” Jaenesson said of the patrons.
“It’s easy to park, easy to get in and then they can grab lunch and shop at the mall. It’s also a great place for our employees to work for a period of time.”
On Monday, the Kanawha County Public Library Board approved a $24 million agreement with Paramont Builders Inc. of Saint Albans for the work to the Capitol Street location.
The project will include the addition of 20,000 square feet, including a meeting space capable of holding up to 200 people, according to 580-WCHS Radio in Charleston.
The total cost of the project is expected to be $32 million, with other costs including a temporary space.
The Kanawha County Public Library announcing its downtown Charleston location is moving to the Charleston Town Center Mall…temporarily. This is occurring while the downtown location undergoes a multil-million dollar renovation. @WVMetroNews pic.twitter.com/HduuKmajDt
— Jake Flatley (@JakeFlatley) February 25, 2020