PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia's Rebuild projects are rolling along and residents of Cobbs Creek are especially excited about what's ahead — a brand new library.
The Blanche Nixon Library is one of 12 across the city that will benefit from the Rebuild initiative, made possible by the Philadelphia beverage tax. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent on various structures in disrepair, including $5 million on the library.
The library has served the Cobbs Creek community since 1925. It was refurbished in 1957 and last renovated in 1997, but now a complete rebuild is planned. Residents last week were invited to weigh in on what they would like to see, such as better lighting, more accessibility for people with disabilities and a better utilization of the space overall.
"We really want the community to be able to use the library more. We want it to be known for them that it is. Sometimes we have a lot of hidden gems in Cobbs Creek, and I would say the library is one of them," said neighbor Temwa Wright.
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Rebuild Executive Director Kira Strong said all of the structures are in neighborhoods that need them.
"All of Rebuild's sites are spread geographically across Philadelphia. There's a mix of larger sites, smaller sites in all different neighborhoods," said Strong, who added it's critically important to have community input on improvements to structures that they will be using.
"Obviously we all know the fun part is when we move on to construction and people get to see their input and the design that they approved move into reality with a brand new facility."