Philip S. Miller Library demolition to begin this week; new library in Castle Rock will open next month
20 years ago, the Phillip S. Miller Library opened in a former Safeway in Castle Rock. But this week, that building will be torn down to make way for something new.
At first, the plan was to renovate the existing library.
"That ended up just not being practical," said Bob Pasicznyuk, Executive Library Director for Douglas County Libraries, "it almost would be as expensive to do that as to build new. It also would put the library out of order for almost a year in order to do that."
Instead, construction of a brand new library began in 2021 in the parking lot of the old one, which stayed open until May of 2023.
The old library will be demolished and become parking for the new library. For the past two weeks, the building has been used by first responders for site training.
In total, the project costs $25 million, coming from library reserves saved over seven years. A price Pasicznyuk says is well worth it.
"Learning to read is not a fad. A hundred years from now people will still be learning to read," Pasicznyuk said.
He says libraries are still essential, even in the age of technology.
"We find that most of our families don't use digital books for their children. Their children use screens all day long and they'd like an alternative for that," Pasicznyuk said.
The new library expands both early childhood learning and public spaces.
"Whether it be event halls, conference spaces, small coworking spaces, those have never been in more demand for us," Pasicznyuk said.
The first floor will be a family setting, while the second will be a quiet business environment. They're also doubling space for historic Douglas County archives.
The new library will simply be called the Castle Rock Library. It's grand opening is August 26.
