ANSELMO – A group gathered inside the Anselmo Village Library to slice red ribbon Wednesday morning (June 26) to celebrate the completion of improvements to the building.
Now open to the public, construction started in November of 2023. The building will continue to serve as the community’s gather and meeting place with new features including handicap accessible bathrooms and entrances, and a built-on space for a kitchen.
The project cost totaled $442,330, funded through a Community Development Block Grant. Project costs were just over $400,000, grant administration ran $25,000, and construction management services cost $10,000. The community of Anselmo also provided matching funds of $40,733 toward the project. Anselmo will also go forward by finishing the kitchen space to completely wrap up the final touches.
Heath Rader with Hackel Construction said the bathroom spaces used the same footprint as the previous kitchen with an obvious removal and rebuild of wall structures. He also said with the addition of the new space area, additional breakers and electrical improvements were also made during construction.
“By making these improvements, the library will be able to attract more visitors and host larger events,” said Bob Blakely, representing the Village of Anselmo.
Nicole Bartels with the Nebraska Department of Economic Development congratulated the community, adding, “Projects like this take vision, planning, teamwork, and a lot of hard work. You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished.” She applauded Anselmo for taking the initiative to develop the improved space, a great investment which will strengthen community ties.
