ST. PETERSBURG, Fla - After one of the longest renovation projects in Bay Area history, the President Barack Obama Main Library in St. Petersburg has officially reopened to the public.

The library first closed in February 2021, shortly after being renamed in honor of the nation’s first African American president. City leaders say the project required extensive repairs — from asbestos removal to infrastructure updates — and faced major delays due to hurricanes, COVID, and supply chain challenges.

Mayor Ken Welch said, "Challenges from COVID to asbestos to supply chain to, of course, hurricanes. But our team persevered. And today this space has been completely transformed."

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The newly reimagined 44,000-square-foot fac

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