Fundraising for new Appleton Public Library reaches $11 million of $12 million goal

Duke Behnke, Appleton Post-Crescent
·2 min read

APPLETON — The Building Beyond Words capital campaign has raised $11 million of its $12 million goal for the new Appleton Public Library.

Friends of Appleton Public Library announced the achievement Thursday.

Mike Van Asten, chairman of the capital campaign, said the community's support has been phenomenal.

"We are almost at the finish line," he said. "We are asking the community to help us in the final stretch to create a library that will stand as a beacon of knowledge, connection and growth for generations to come."

The Friends group kicked off the public phase of the campaign in November. Philanthropist Mary Beth Nienhaus provided a $500,000 matching gift challenge, which was successfully completed.

"I believe the Appleton Public Library is vital in providing education and resources to the community," Nienhaus said. "The new library will focus on children, an area that I care deeply about, and I'm excited to see its positive impact on future generations."

Brad Smith, president and vice chair of Microsoft, is the lead donor for the new library, pledging $3 million. Smith moved to Appleton as a teen and attended Appleton West High School.

More: Walter S. Rugland, a pillar of the Fox Cities, dies at 86, leaving a legacy of service

The money for the $40.4 million library renovation and expansion project at 225 N. Oneida St. is coming from three sources: Appleton property taxes ($26.4 million), fundraising by the Friends group ($12 million) and the American Rescue Plan Act ($2 million).

Work began in August. The project remains on schedule for substantial completion by late 2024, with an opening of the new library in early 2025.

The library closed its doors in April 2022 in preparation for construction and temporarily moved to the former Best Buy at 2411 S. Kensington Drive. The lease on that space expired in December, forcing the library to relocate a second time. It currently operates from the former Habitat ReStore at 3000 E. College Ave.

Videos: Architectural fly-through animations of the new library

Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DukeBehnke.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Appleton library campaign reaches $11 million of $12 million goal