Daley Asks To Secure Land For New Library

The Public Building Commission of Chicago would take steps to secure property for the new Grand Crossing Branch Library under an ordinance introduced in the Chicago City Council today by Mayor Richard M. Daley.

The measure calls for the Commission to begin the process of acquiring land near 73rd Street and South Ellis Ave., the first step in the construction of a new branch library for the South Side community.

“Of all the resources the City of Chicago offers its residents, libraries are among its most versatile,” said Mayor Daley. “Whether through books or through the Internet, they offer Chicagoans access to the past and to the future, expanding their world and their dreams. This library has the potential to improve lives and broaden horizons in the Grand Crossing neighborhood, and I look forward to seeing it make a difference.”

The ordinance, once approved by the Chicago City Council, will allow the Public Building Commission to pursue property at 1000 East 73rd Street, at 1008 East 73rd Street and at 1014 East 73rd Street.

Preliminary plans call for a new, 7,000 square-foot facility built using environmentally friendly measures and equipped with thousands of volumes as well as computers for residents’ use.