A $20 million renovation of the Glencoe Public Library appears poised to move forward after voters in the March 17 election approved, in unofficial results, an advisory referendum supporting a bond sale.
Glencoe residents easily approved the $17.5 million advisory bond referendum for the library at 320 Park Ave., which has not undergone a major renovation since opening in 1941. The measure received 1,168 votes in support and 590 opposed, according to results posted on the Cook County Clerk’s website.
“We were so happy the community came and supported the renovation plan,” Library Director Andrew Kim said.
The proposed project includes a roughly 4,000-square-foot expansion, bringing the building to more than 26,000 square feet. Plans call for new and flexible programming spaces, expanded areas for children’s programming, a refurbished lower level and enhanced connections to Wyman Green, the space between the library and Village Hall.
Kim said the library did not conduct polling or surveys ahead of the vote and was unsure how residents would respond. He described the roughly 2-to-1 margin as a moment of “shock and awe.”
“I think we were always hopeful the community would come out in support of the referendum, but you can never be too sure,” Kim said.
Under the proposal, property owners in the village would see an estimated $135 annual increase for every $10,000 paid in current property taxes.
The referendum was advisory, and the library — designated under state law as a local library — does not have the authority to levy its own property taxes. The Village Board must formally issue the bonds.
Village President Howard Roin said the Board intends to follow the will of voters.
“We are going to issue bonds when the Library Board needs us to issue bonds so we can proceed with the project,” Roin said.
Meanwhile, the Campaign Advisory Council, a private organization formed to support the effort, continues to raise the remaining $2.5 million for the project, which will cost $20 million in total, through private donations.
Campaign co-chair Michael Pope, who also serves on the Library Board, said nearly $2 million has already been raised. He believes passage of the referendum could encourage additional donors.
“That’s been our assumption,” Pope said. “There were some people who were supportive of the library but did not want to make a commitment until the advisory referendum passed.”
With voter approval secured, Kim said detailed design planning will begin soon.
As planning advances, library officials are also preparing for relocation during construction. Kim said the Board has retained an owner’s representative firm to identify a temporary site. Meanwhile, library staff will determine which services can be maintained during the project, particularly programming and access to collections.
Planning is expected to be completed by the end of the year, with construction anticipated to begin in early 2027 and last 18 to 24 months, Kim said. Library officials hope to keep operations within village limits.
“Our absolute goal is to have temporary locations as close as possible,” Kim said. “But the reality is those spaces are rare. We are going to look at everything, including options that may be a little further out.”
Kim added Glencoe is part of a 30-member library consortium that offers reciprocity privileges to cardholders.
“We are committed to ensuring the community has access to the materials they want and need,” he said. “We are going to lean harder on our library partners, but overall, we hope to keep things available under our roof.”
Acknowledging the work ahead, Kim said he was grateful for the strong support from voters.
“The library we envision is what we believe the community deserves,” he said. “The space is antiquated, making it harder to deliver the services and access the community deserves. We feel this renovation will keep the library vibrant for future generations.”
