Hayden Heights Library regulars are about to be temporarily homeless, at least in the book-browsing sense. The east side branch in St. Paul will close next Thursday for an 18-month renovation that library officials say will turn the neighborhood staple into a more flexible community hub. The overhaul is part of the Saint Paul Public Library’s Transforming Libraries program, aimed at updating interior layout, technology and outdoor space across the system.
According to the Saint Paul Public Library, the branch will be closed starting next Thursday, and patrons can check out and return materials through Wednesday, March 24. Holds pick-up options will shift in early March, and items checked out at closing will get extended due dates, so your books will not be overdue before the paint is dry. The system says the Mobile Library will keep making east-side stops during construction while nearby branches take on more in-person services. For full details and the project schedule, see the Hayden Heights page from the Saint Paul Public Library.
The city’s tentative Capital Improvement Budget includes a $3.55 million recommendation for the Hayden Heights project, money that would move the renovation from design toward construction. Transforming Libraries also targets Hamline Midway and Riverview as part of a broader push to modernize Saint Paul’s 13 branches. The funding recommendation and timeline appear in the City of Saint Paul budget packet; see capital budget materials from the City of Saint Paul.
Designs and new spaces
Plans for the Hayden Heights overhaul lean heavily into light and flexibility. Designs call for large front windows to better connect the building to the street, a central community room with movable walls, three study rooms, and a flexible “flex” room that can host partner programming. The renovation also includes upgraded technology, a colorful children’s area that opens to an outdoor reading garden, and a greenspace visible from the teen section. These details are laid out in the library’s design release and floor plans; see the design announcement from the Saint Paul Public Library.
Private fundraising has helped fuel the broader program. Local reporting and library announcements note a $2 million grant from the Knight Foundation late in 2025, the largest gift in the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library’s history, designated to support systemwide upgrades that include Hayden Heights and Riverview. With the city’s tentative $3.55 million allocation, local coverage puts the Hayden Heights work at roughly a $4 million project. As reported by the Pioneer Press, public and private dollars together are meant to speed the transformation along.
Where to go and how to follow progress
During the closure, patrons are encouraged to shift their routines to nearby Sun Ray and Arlington Hills branches or to Ramsey County libraries in North Saint Paul and Maplewood. The Mobile Library will continue stopping in the greater east-side neighborhood, keeping at least a rolling version of Hayden Heights in play. Holds can be redirected and hold lockers are available at nearby locations, and items checked out from Hayden Heights will carry extended due dates through construction, so you can keep reading while the remodel grinds on. The renovation is expected to take up to 18 months, with updates and any scheduling changes posted by library staff as the work moves forward.
