Back in April a decision was made between the Rockford City Counsel, Rockford Public Library Board of Trustees, and Com Ed to build a new library downtown.

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In a project that has been in the works since 2010, it has been determined to demolish the 114 year-old building currently at 215 N. Wyman Street and have a new building put in its place. The reason for this because the soil beneath the main library downtown is contaminated.  The library is currently set up in a temporary location at 214 N. Church Street.

Com Ed will be working with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency on the environmental cleanup of the contaminated soil once the building has been demolished. The Rockford Public Library said "Bon Voyage" to the Wyman Street building on Saturday. The new temporary location is currently open to the public.

The new building for the library will be about 68,000 square feet, where the existing building is 88,000 square feet. The Rockford Public Library does also own the adjacent building at 227 N. Wyman and they may utilize some of that building along with the new one.

Com Ed is financially responsible for the cost of moving to the temporary location, demolishing the library building, preforming the environmental remediation, and the building of the new library.  The cost for the new library will be 33 million dollars and it cost 4 million to renovate the temporary location two blocks away. The money comes from a fund that has been established by an environmental line item fee that all 4.5 million of Com Ed's costumers pay on their monthly bills. Supporting the company's environmental cleanup efforts is the reason for the funds design.

I have yet to see it reported when the demolishing of the current building will take place or when they expect the new building to be up and functioning.

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