The Portland Library renovation project that began in 2023 is well on its way to completion. The branch of Louisville Free Public Library (LFPL) in the Portland neighborhood is located at 3305 Northwestern Parkway. The $7.5 million project will include both a renovation of the original 6,000-square-foot Andrew Carnegie library and 4,500-square-foot addition in a contemporary architectural style. The design team includes JRA Architects of Louisville, MKSK of Ohio, and LFPL staff.
Once complete, the Portland library will be fully accessible, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The library will expand its collection of books and media and add more desktop computers. There will also be dedicated children’s and teen areas, new comfortable seating throughout the branch, and a public meeting space.
The Portland is the third oldest branch in the LFPL system, after the Main Library downtown and the Western library in Russell. The library first opened in a rented space at 2611 Portland Ave. with a collection of 1,400 books curated from the collection at the Main library. The branch relocated to Lewis Lodge on 26th St. in June 1907, where it served the Portland community until a grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation funded for the building at its current location. On October 24, 1913, the Portland branch opened in its current location. LFPL expects to reopen in June 2025 — just in time for the Summer Reading program.
This article appears in Jun 19 – Jul 2, 2024.
