Mayor Daley Introduces Ordinance to Transfer Property for New Branch Library

Mayor Richard M. Daley today introduced an ordinance to transfer property that will be home to a new branch library on the City’s Northwest Side.

The Public Building Commission of Chicago will transfer the property to the City, with the transfer to officially take place once the new Dunning Branch Public Library is substantially complete. Work on the new library, to be located at 7455 W. Cornelia Avenue, is expected to begin in November.

“Libraries are one of the most important anchors in revitalizing a community because they symbolize education, reading and are a safe haven for positive, constructive activities,” said Mayor Daley. “We build libraries not only as a keeper of our history, but because offering Chicagoans free access to information of all types – improves the quality of life for our residents.”

The property is being transferred from the PBC on behalf of the Chicago Public Schools, owner of the property, to the City of Chicago for the new branch library.

The new library will use a prototype design, offering a one-story, 8,800 square-foot facility to replace the existing library. The building’s design is configured to achieve “Silver” level certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.