The Franklin Public Library's long-discussed children's-area makeover now carries a price tag of roughly $440,000, down sharply from earlier estimates after Demco's second proposal came in roughly $150,000 lower. A library in Beloit also offered up a stash of nearly 240 shelves as a possible additional cost reduction. Library trustees have spent much of 2026 working through competing design proposals, cost revisions and fundraising plans to bring the project across the finish line.
The process began in earnest at the board's April 27 meeting, when trustees spent the bulk of the session reviewing two competing proposals to redesign the library's children's area, according to citizenportal.ai. One option was a staged, lower-shelving plan from LFI quoted at about $192,607, while a more extensive Demco plan came in at $593,440. Trustees also discussed phasing the project, reusing existing shelving, improving security sightlines and pursuing possible fundraising, per the same report.
A Steep Price Drop After a Revised Quote
By the time the project resurfaced for closer review, the numbers had changed considerably. A revised Demco proposal came in about $150,000 less than the vendor's first quote, citizenportal.ai reported in its coverage of the revised cost estimate. Shelving alone had been priced at roughly $340,000 in the original proposal, making it the single largest line item driving the project's cost.
That bill shrank further after the Franklin Public Library Foundation reported a donation of about 240 shelves from a library in Beloit, the outlet noted. The donated shelving was a possible additional cost reduction. Along with the revised vendor quote, it helped bring the overall estimate down to about $440,000, though a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel search-result snippet separately put the fundraising target at $450,000 to build a new children's space featuring a Baby Garden and Tween Lounge — a figure the dossier could not fully reconcile with the $440,000 estimate reported elsewhere.
Board Votes to Move Forward With Vendor
Trustees took the next formal step Aug. 24, voting to move ahead with the selected vendor for the redesign, according to citizenportal.ai's report on the board's approval. Board President Maria Imp moved the action, which was seconded and approved by voice vote. The presentation that night included new layouts, shelving options and updated cost estimates, and the vote itself lets staff and the foundation begin fundraising and contract steps.
By July, library staff had already signaled that the groundwork was underway. Meeting minutes posted by franklinwi.gov described the children's area redesign project as ongoing, noting that staff had been very busy in the lead-up to the board's later votes.
Foundation Commits Up to $60,000, Plans Fundraisers
Money for the project isn't coming solely from the library's own budget. The Franklin Public Library Foundation voted to commit up to $60,000 toward the children's-area redesign, per the same citizenportal.ai report on the foundation's pledge. The foundation also outlined a slate of fundraising events, including a July 27 Panera night that returned 30% of net sales to the library, a holiday boutique planned for November and a bake sale set for December.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the push is tied to the library's 25th anniversary, with the goal of creating a more secure and accessible children's space that combines play, learning and literacy. Exactly how the project's final budget, construction timeline and specific design features will shake out remains to be seen as fundraising and contract work continue.
