Wichita Council Approves New Central Library

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Wichita City Council has voted to approve the construction of a $33 million central library.

Council members voted 5-2 Tuesday. The city approved initial plans for a new library about 10 years ago and bought the land for $3.69 million in 2008.

The council will have to vote again in a few months to approve a contractor before construction begins.

Don Barry, chairman of the Wichita Public Library Foundation board of directors, said that ground could be broken on the project as early as this summer and that it could be completed in 2018.

The city will finance the library with more than $36 million in bonds, part of which will be recouped through fundraising by the library foundation.

It is unclear what will happen to the current central library building.

ASSOCIATED PRESS