Construction has begun on the North Sacramento-Hagginwood Library along Del Paso Boulevard, with the foundation now set for the new educational facility. Last Thursday, Councilmember Roger Dickinson joined state and city representatives, project participants, and residents at the site for a groundbreaking event. The library is expected to serve as a key resource for the North Sacramento community.
The new library site, located at 1124 Del Paso Blvd., comes with a history of its own. The nearly 19,000-square-foot building, acquired by the City in 2021, originally opened its doors as Ink Brother’s Grocery back in 1947. It subsequently transformed to serve the community as Van's Market and later as a space for IMG Home, playing a subtle part in early strip revitalization efforts. Lastly, the premises had been occupied by the Sacramento News & Review until 2021. The current library space, just a few strides away on the same boulevard, is roughly 4,000 square feet. The new project is set to expand to more than quadruple that size, providing room for increased programming and community use. It promises to not only retain but to bolster community landmarks – preserving the large oak tree on the premises and the murals on the western and southern exterior walls, as stated in the Sacramento City Express.
Ezra Roati, senior architect with the City's Department of Public Works, stated that the design of the new library incorporated input from residents, council offices, and the Library Authority. The library will feature technology-rich learning environments, flexible community rooms, a main area divided for children, teens, and adults, meeting rooms, a Maker Space, a dedicated Friends of the Library room, and spacious restrooms.
Funding for this ambitious project was secured through a joint effort between the City of Sacramento and the Sacramento Library Authority, who collectively landed over $7 million in State Library Grant funding in 2024. With a match from local funds, the green light for the project was illuminated. PBK Architects is to serve as the Architect of Record, overseeing construction admin, and Otto Construction has been tapped as the general contractor to spearhead the building phase. The venture is overseen by city staff, with O’Connor Construction Management pitching in for the daily grind of construction management and operations. Expected to extend through the winter of 2026, the construction ought to finalize in early 2027, neatly ahead of the June 2027 grant deadline, according to details from the Sacramento City Express.
