The doors at the Sand Creek Library at the Academy Plaza Shopping center are open once again. The library was temporarily closed for six weeks to replace a problematic sewage system. News 5 dropped by for the reopening to hear from people who depend on this library.
Sand Creek is one of the Pikes Peak Library District's locations that caters to families. So they're excited to be open again for all to enjoy.
"We definitely really excited to have the library back open," Public Relations and Marketing Manger Carla Bamesberger says.
After 6-long weeks, Sand Creek Library on S Academy Boulevard finally reopened for business Tuesday morning. Staff members welcomed back their loyal patrons. Andrew Ezellwash is happy the wait is over.
"I'm ecstatic, I'm ecstatic cause I love this library. I come here a lot, also record. They also have a recording studio, and I use it," Ezellwash says.
He's not the only happy person here. Gary Patterson tells us Sand Creek is a popular social gathering spot.
"A lot of people here are friends with each other, and we've been apart for a while," Paterson says.
Plumbing problems forced the library and several other neighboring businesses to shut down several times last year. Pikes Peak Library District's Gary Syling says 187-feet of plumbing pipes running under parts of the library needed to be replaced. Most of it was originally installed back in the mid 1980's.
"It was quite a task," says Syling." Some of those pipes were down as deep as 8, 9, 10-feet deep."
After the clean up and some upgrades such as brand new computers for their computer lab, Tuesday was all about the importance of seeing people come back.
"We want to make sure that we're here for our community so they have access to computers, and Wi-Fi, and other things that we have to offer, because in a lot of areas in the Springs people might not have access to those things otherwise," Bamesberger says.
During the interim many regulars used the Ruth Holley Library which is about a ten-minute drive away, but nothing compares to a much loved familiar place.
"I'm familiar with the staff here which is a really good staff, and I'm familiar with a lot of people that come and go here," Ezellwash says.
Sand Creek Library.
As one reopens the library system plans to close the Penrose Library for 2 months. Renovation work on that branch is expected to start next month.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
