By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com

A site for a potential new building for the Lyon Township Public Library is being explored.

At this month’s meeting, the Lyon Township Board of Trustees heard a presentation from the library Board and its architect on three locations being considered.

Library Director Holly Teasdle said they recently conducted a survey and found there is wide desire for a new building that can fit more of the community’s needs. She said 85% of respondents want a new library, with many citing a lack of space and seating in the current building. She said people tend to pick up their stuff and just leave, and go to other community libraries for their events.

Using a building size of 19,000-square feet for comparisons, benefits, challenges and costs for each location were shared. The first was for Mill River and Milford Road, but that site could be used for a new fire station, and has a challenge of a consent deed attached. That was estimated to sot up to $11.2-million total. A rebuild on the library’s current site was explored, but poor soil conditions and a lack of space for expansion did not lend it favor. A cost estimate for this site came in at $12.5-million. The clear winner with the Board of Trustees was an 11-Mile/Milford Road site, which has been also targeted for park use. A new library there could cost up to $11.6-million.

Supervisor John Dolan thought it would be an amazing location that could turn that centralized location into a destination once the park and its amenities are developed. Trustee Sean O’Neil felt there were ways partner the two projects together for shared costs.

The Board unanimously passed a motion to direct future site design exploration towards that location, subject to a millage being passed. The millage appears to be the biggest obstacle in getting a new library, as how Treasurer Patricia Carcone put it, “everyone wants a library, but do they want to pay for it?”