A crowd of 350 supporters filled downtown Nashville's Church Street Park July 24 to witness the groundbreaking for a new 288,000-square-foot main library. Library Director Donna Nicely, Library Board Chair Margaret Ann Robinson, and Mayor Phil Bredesen joined nationally known architect Robert A.M. Stern in celebrating their excitement about the building, expected to open in June of 2001.
The program's highlight featured patrons from each branch reading their wishes for the new library to the crowd. When the assembled patrons turned around signs to reveal a drawing of the new building, bells from nearby churches joined the applause of the onlookers.
The planned three-story, split-level facility, made of native limestone, will be able to hold 1 million books, more than 150 public computers, a grand reading room, an auditorium, a children's theater, and a café.
Among Stern's recently completed projects are the Disney Feature Animation Building in Burbank, California, and the William Gates Computer Science Building at Stanford University.
Posted August 2, 1999.