Borough breaks ground on Willow library

The long-awaited Willow Library and Community Center project is officially underway.

Last week, the borough broke ground on the new facility, which will measure more than 6,500 square feet, and has a total cost estimate of $6.2 million.  A substantial portion of the funds being used to construct the new library and community center came from grants, including the largest single award ever given by the Mat-Su Health Foundation.

In addition to serving the community of Willow, the community center has also hosted Mat-Su Borough Assembly budget hearings, and it is the hub for many activities during the restart of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race each year.

At Tuesday night’s Mat-Su Borough Assembly Meeting, Borough Mayor Vern Halter, a Willow resident, said that the demolition work on the old library had proceeded very quickly.

While the Willow library will be closed temporarily, they hope to open a temporary location next week.