There are no major private developments taking place — no subdivisions, shopping centers or commercial activity. There’s no dirt being turned, no visible manifestation of growth and economic prosperity.
That’s not to say there is no progress. Commerce is starting three infrastructure projects, but utility work is invisible in terms of public perception. Few people care if a sewer line is rehabbed, unless sewage is backing up into the basement or the ditch cuts across the driveway. With CHS done (OK, I realize there’s the old building to be partially razed and four tennis courts to be built, and a new track is under construction, but, yawn), there’s just not much construction going on. Building permits are rarer than spotted owls in Commerce.
The good news is that ground will break this year on the addition to the Commerce Public Library, right here on Broad Street.
Next to our school facilities and the police department (just kidding about that one), the library is probably the most beloved public institution in town. A $2 million, 5,000-square-foot expansion should take off this spring. We’ve got the land, the community has raised almost $600,000 and the state grant is in hand.
Like the run-up to building the new CHS, getting this project afloat has taken a long time, but raising $586,000 from the community doesn’t happen overnight. It’s amazing that it happened at all, but hundreds of people chipped in, from the folks who bought a single $50 memorial brick to the Neelagaru family, whose $150,000 donation is absolutely stunning.
Keep in mind also that the delays in finalizing plans for the high school actually worked in our favor because of the low recession-induced bids, so maybe we’ll get a pleasant surprise when the library expansion bids come in. Perhaps there will be a few bucks left over for some exciting new amenities.
Like a high school, a public library is essential to a vibrant community. The presence of a good library tells folks that people in the area value reading and education. It represents an investment in the spreading of knowledge and a public commitment to making literature and information available to all. It’s exciting to the community when a new library is built or a major expansion is under way.
The plan to expand the library began long before the economy collapsed. Maybe by the time the addition is open to the public, the economy will have improved enough that we’ll see some private sector residential or commercial activity.
Mark Beardsley is the editor of The Commerce News. He lives in Commerce.
