East Helena Library Set for Major Expansion, Community Boost
The Lewis and Clark Library received city council approval to begin surveying for a new East Helena branch, with plans to replace the century old rented building and expand services. The proposed project could transform local access to community space, study rooms and public resources, and carries implications for social equity and public health in the county.
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The Lewis and Clark Library is moving forward with plans to build a new facility for its East Helena branch after the East Helena City Council approved the library system to begin surveying the proposed site. The library currently operates in a building constructed in the early 1900s that is the only structure in the county system not owned by the library, a situation leaders say the project would resolve.
If the plan advances, the new library would be sited between JFK Park and the Kennedy Park Swimming Pool, expanding the branch from roughly 2,000 square feet to about 11,000 square feet. The larger footprint would include community spaces, study rooms and other amenities modeled in part after features at the Helena branch, where a cafe has served as a social hub. Officials expect a feasibility study to be the first formal step, and if everything goes as planned the new East Helena library could open within roughly five years.
Project funding is expected to come from a combination of savings, borrowing and foundation support. Library Director John Finn estimated the project might cost around 6 million dollars. The surveying approval from the city council clears the way for site analysis and early planning work that will inform the feasibility study and eventual design and financing steps.
Beyond bricks and mortar, the expansion raises public health and equity considerations for Lewis and Clark County. Libraries serve as essential community infrastructure that supports education, digital access, social connection and mental wellbeing. For residents who lack reliable home internet, for students seeking quiet study space and for older adults needing social contact, a larger, better equipped branch can reduce barriers to services that influence health and economic opportunity.
The proposed location adjacent to park and pool amenities also creates possibilities for coordinated programming that supports active living and outdoor access. A modern library can host health education events, partner with public health agencies for outreach and provide a consistent site for information and referrals. Those potential benefits will be weighed alongside cost and operational questions as the feasibility study proceeds.
Local stakeholders will be watching the next phases closely, including the results of surveying and the scope of the feasibility review. For East Helena residents, the project represents a chance to replace an aging, rented building with a public asset tailored to current community needs, while highlighting broader conversations about public investment, equitable access to resources and the role of libraries in promoting community health.
