ROCKFORD, MI - The Kent District Library’s Rockford branch already serves around 42,000 residents, according to City Manager Thad Beard, but that number is expected to nearly double in the next 15 years.

By 2040, the Krause Memorial Library, located at 140 E. Bridge St. NE, will have an estimated 78,000 resident patrons.

The city is now expanding the building in an attempt to continue serving Rockford’s growing population, breaking ground Tuesday, Sept. 2 on an $11.7 million project.

The construction will more than double the size of the library with a new wing, main entrance hub for visitors and a larger community room.

“The current library is not large enough to meet our growing community’s needs,” Beard previously told MLive, with community members waiting too long for materials a

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