Library leaders propose new 30,000-square-foot Beechwood branch with 300-seat auditorium at Fairmount site

Cuyahoga County Public Library officials presented conceptual plans for a new Beechwood branch to be sited on the Fairmount Boulevard property and described a two-story, roughly 30,000-square-foot building that would include about 22,000 square feet of library space and an approximately 8,000-square-foot auditorium.

"We wanna spend right around $20,000,000 on construction... and at the end of the day, we're gonna be, probably between 28 and $30,000,000," the library's chief operations officer said during the presentation, summarizing the system's current cost estimate. Architects from CBLH described a flexible auditorium with retractable seating (300-capacity), multiple meeting and study rooms, a Holocaust remembrance space and an innovation lab.

The presenters said the site plan provides 141 parking spaces and that the library will ask the city for a variance for 49 spaces; they also described shared parking with an expanded city lot and a proposed new signalized intersection at Fairmount and Shaker Crest to manage event traffic. Library staff emphasized the project grew from a facilities master plan and that the library has funds earmarked for its scope and the procurement approach (construction-manager-at-risk with a guaranteed maximum price).

Residents and council members repeatedly raised concerns about the project's effect on existing youth sports fields, stormwater and neighborhood traffic. Several public commenters urged the library, city and school district to produce a concrete, funded and accountable plan for replacement athletic facilities before construction proceeds. School and city representatives said they are negotiating cost-sharing and a new shared-services agreement to define responsibilities for field upgrades and maintenance.

The presentation was informational: no formal land-use approvals were taken at the meeting. Council members asked about next steps and public engagement; the library said it will finalize design and seek a budgetary GMP and aims to have its contract in place by year end if all approvals and estimates align. The library provided an email contact for resident questions: librarybeachwoodohio dot com.