FOLEY – Construction of Foley’s new library and community center is ready to start.

The city of Foley will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility Thursday, Jan. 30, at 11 a.m. The event will be at the new library site at 230 E. Orange Ave. in Foley, next to the Foley Dog Park.

The building will have almost 40,000 square feet of space and be about twice the size of the current facility next to City Hall.

The facility will also be a community center, with a meeting space, an auditorium, computer labs and study rooms.

Plans call for the library to be a two-story building. The ground floor will include a children’s area and a multipurpose room. The multipurpose room can serve as a meeting space and auditorium. 

The children’s area will be expanded and include computers, a sensory room and an activity room that can also be used for storytimes for young children. 

The library will also have a separate area for teens on the second floor.

The second floor will also include the adult section and computer labs. The second floor will also have more study rooms than the current facility.

Other facilities planned for the new library include a STEAM-STEM lab and spaces for programs such as special-needs activities.