Montgomery County celebrates groundbreaking of North Library and new Animal Control center
A new animal center and library are coming to Montgomery County at the same location, which will better serve animals and readers across the county.
Montgomery County elected officials and community leaders attended the groundbreaking for the Montgomery County North Public Library and Animal Care and Control facility.
After years of searching for land, budgeting and designing, the long-awaited North Library and Montgomery County Animal Care and Control facility are closer to opening its doors in Montgomery County.
In attendance at the groundbreaking March 22 were Montgomery County Commissioners, Tennessee State Senator Bill Powers, Tennessee State Representatives Jeff Burkhart and Ronnie Glynn and former Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett, who was thanked by Mayor Wes Golden for his leadership in starting the projects.
“There have been some bumps along the way, but we are moving ahead for the citizens who live on this side of the community," Golden said. "This is a blessing not only for our kids but for the adults who will have these additional resources for years to come. When I think about all of the great memories that will be made here, it just makes my heart smile."
Golden also thanked past and present county commissioners, county residents, Friends of the Library, county engineering and the Library Foundation, which raised additional funds for the library.
“This building will be constructed with the primary focus of future growth, animal welfare, and support of our staff," said MCACC director Dave Kaske at the groundbreaking. "For the first time, our staff will be provided with all of the necessary tools and features to complete their tasks allowing them to focus more of their time on animal enrichment not only to help lost and broken animals in our community but also to expand the minds of children and families who live in Montgomery County.”
The decision to have the animal shelter and library to occupy the same land was made by then-county mayor, Jim Durrett's administration after the library had to scale-back on its designs.
In 2022, Kaske told The Leaf-Chronicle that the shared space was a potential bonus for the two departments to "conveniently share customer bases and maybe do some shared programming."
Library Director Christina Riedel began by praising the library staff, foundation of Board of Directors.
“This is a tremendous moment in time. Many years of hard work, compromises made, collaborations developed, and public support moved this project forward," said Riedel. "I look forward to a bright future and developing a library system based on hope, data-driven decisions excellent teamwork, and many, many hearts dedicated to serving our patrons."
The land for the library was purchased in 2018, but with COVID-19, the project was delayed due to the cost and unanticipated revenue projections.
The design process for the new library started in September 2022, after the Montgomery County Commission voted on the budget of $9 million, about half of what was initially requested by former Library Director Martha Hendricks and the Library Board of Directors.
“I look back and understand that our libraries are essential to our freedom as individuals, communities, and even as a nation," said Library Chair Quentin Humberd. "This new library we are breaking ground on today, as well as all libraries, enshrine our first amendment rights of freedoms to express ourselves along with the right to believe what matters to us."
The North Library and MCACC, located at 435 Jordan Road, are expected to open in fall 2025.
Kenya Anderson is a reporter for The Leaf-Chronicle. She can be contacted at kanderson@gannett.com or on X at kenyaanderson32. Sign up for the Leaf-Chronicle to support local journalism at www.theleafchronicle.com.
This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: New North Library, animal control center breaks ground in Clarksville
