07/24/2026
📚 An important milestone for the future of the Wauwatosa Public Library!
The Common Council's Committee of the Whole has voted to advance the proposed Library and City Hall project to the full Common Council for final consideration.
As the Wauwatosa Public Library Foundation continues preparing to support the Library's future through philanthropy and community engagement, we're encouraged to see this important step forward.
We encourage our community to review the City's update below and, if you're interested in learning more, watch the full meeting using the link included in their post. Staying informed and engaged is an important part of shaping the future of our Library.
Thank you to everyone who has participated in the community conversations and shared feedback throughout this process. We look forward to continuing this journey together.
The Committee of the Whole voted to advance the $107.2 million Option 4 project (an all-new building) to the Common Council for a final vote on Tuesday, July 28.
To minimize taxpayer impact, the committee recommended to cap the taxpayer-funded portion of the project at $67.8 million. For an average residential property owner, this would mean $20/month over 20 years (based on an average home assessment of $418,800). This is a decrease from the originally proposed taxpayer cost of $26.91/month.
The city could cover the remaining balance of $27.4 million through additional grants, private fundraising, value engineering, and other methods. If there is a gap in the amount after that work is completed, the Common Council will further discuss the project. That discussion could include scope changes, increasing the city contribution, designing a different project, or more.
Watch the full meeting: https://wauwatosacitywi.granicus.com/player/clip/3547?view_id=1&redirect=true
