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Fort Wayne city council approves ACPL library bonds for renovation projects

Ella Abbott
/
WBOI News

On Tuesday, the Fort Wayne City Council approved the issuance of $37 million in bonds for Phase 1 of the Allen County Public Library’s renovation project.

The bonds had to be approved by both the Allen County Council and Fort Wayne City Council.

Phase 1 was approved by the county council in November with a vote of 5-2.

Additional phases would need to be approved by the councils again in the future.

Councilwoman Michelle Chambers praised the project, and the way that both the county and the city came together to improve something for the community.

The $37 million tax bond will fund modernization to several branches which will include accessibility upgrades and technology enhancements. The 34-year-old Aboite branch will be rebuilt, and the current facility sold.

The $37 million will be combined with $20 million from the ACPL reserve. The tax impact for a home with an assessed value of $150,000 will be just under $11 a year.

The bond issue passed with a vote of 6 to zero to 3. Council President Russ Jehl, and Councilmen Paul Ensley and Nathan Hartman abstained.

Rebecca manages the news at WBOI. She joined the staff in December 2017, and brought with her nearly two decades of experience in print journalism, including 15 years as an award-winning reporter for the Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne.