Cloquet Public Library awarded $784,000 construction grant

The Cloquet Public Library got good news as 2018 drew to a close: The library was selected for a $784,000 Library Construction grant from the Minnesota Department of Education.

Library director Beth Sorenson said she was pleased that the MDE “considered our project beneficial to the citizens of Cloquet.”

Although the grant is not for the entire $1 million requested by the library, it is still a huge step toward an expanded library. Funding is contingent upon various clarifications and negotiations that will be necessary before executing the award.

City administrator Aaron Reeves said the city will have to make up the $216,000 not included in the grant or trim the estimated $2 million project by that amount in order to proceed.

In October, the Cloquet City Council had approved a resolution supporting a construction project estimated at $2,343,258 with $275,000 committed in match-funding from the Cloquet Shaw Memorial Public Library Foundation. The application request was for $1 million with the city committing $1,068,258.50 in City of Cloquet bonding funds for the project.

Reeves said the first step is to make sure the Council still wants to move forward, which will happen during the 5:30 p.m. Jan. 15 work session meeting.

“If the Council supports moving forward we would finalize a grant agreement with the State,” he said. “I’m not sure if we could cut $200,000 from the project or not, we are meeting with the architect on Thursday to see if there are some options for reductions. If we had to make up the $216,000 it would come from general fund dollars,” he said, adding that the city would bond for its share of the project.

The proposed expansion would include several elements:

• More space for the collections

• A quiet study space

• Reduced noise levels

• More meeting room space

• More computers

• Separate, child-friendly space

• Adherence to American With Disabilities Act requirements