Carnegie Project On Tight Timeline

After the final vote was read to approve the Carnegie Library restoration project, the council chambers erupted with applause. But there is little time to celebrate, as the project will be a race against the clock.

The Carnegie restoration project faces a very aggressive timeline, meaning that one year from now, the project should already be 100% complete. With grants that need to be used by specific deadlines, it will be a rapid transformation over the next year.

What saved the 108-year old building was a passionate grassroots effort to preserve a piece of Bemidji history. But just because the project is moving forward, that doesn’t mean the fundraising has stopped. With over $2 million raised so far, fundraising efforts will continue.

With Library Park set to keep its library, the rich history of the Carnegie will live on for generations to come.

The Carnegie restoration project is expected to begin in early August with the entire project completed by the end of June in 2019.