By the numbers:
25,200: Population in Riverside
29,467: People the Burkhardt branch serves
53,565: People the Huber Heights branch serves
20,000: Square feet for new proposed East Dayton/Riverside branch
RIVERSIDE — City officials said they want the Dayton Metro Library system to build a proposed new 20,000-square-foot branch within the city limits.
The Dayton Metro Library announced it is planning to put a $230 million bond issue on the November ballot. Part of the overall proposal includes building a new library in the East Dayton/Riverside area north of US 35.
The new, 20,000-square-foot branch would be built at a new location and replace the existing 7,998-square foot Burkhardt branch, which has been in existence since 1960 and received its only significant enhancement six years later.
Riverside city officials recently met with Dayton Metro Library Executive Director Tim Kambitsch to have preliminary discussions about the possibility of having the new branch built within the city limits if the bond issue — designed to support new construction and system-wide renovations — passes.
“It was a very productive meeting and we’re excited about trying to place a library in Riverside,” Mayor Bill Flaute said. “(The Dayton Metro Library) has a lot of requirements, but we’re up for the challenge if we get to that point.”
Riverside officials said the city is the largest community in Montgomery County that is not home to a library, and Flaute said the most ideal location would be around the Stebbins High School area.
Riverside has a population of 25,200 and is the fourth-largest community in Montgomery County, City Manager Bryan Chodkowski said.
“I very much think there is a future for a library located in Riverside,” Chodkowski said. “At the end of the day, we want to make sure our residents have the access they need to get to those facilities.”
Riverside residents typically visit either the Huber Heights branch on Chambersburg Road or Burkhardt, which is in Dayton and about half a mile from Riverside’s city limits.
Huber Heights serves 53,565 people within the branch’s boundaries, while the Burkhardt branch serves 29,467, according to 2010 service numbers. The Burkhardt figure dropped 10.9 percent since 2000, Kambitsch said.
Huber Heights is the busiest of the 20 branches. It attracted more than 1,000 visitors per day and lent out 67,103 items in February. Burkhardt averaged 492 visitors a day and lent out 25,398 items in February.
“The time has come to build a bigger building,” said Burkhardt branch manager Francesca Hary, a Riverside resident. “We’re busier than ever and people want access. We’ve maximized our usage and space, and the community deserves better and we can offer more. I think libraries will be here for a long time.”
Riverside resident Angela Meyer, who has two children ages 10 and 8, said her family uses the library at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base more so than any branch. But Meyer is in favor of one being built in Riverside.
“If it was closer by, we’d definitely utilize it more regularly,” she said. “I’d like to see it where there were other businesses around and it was well lit. Somewhere where I felt more secure, and yes, I would go.”
If the bond issue passes, Kambitsch said the goal is to have all of the projects started within five years.
He anticipates the new branches would be built toward the end of the project timeline in order for Dayton Metro Library officials to host community forums and gather input from residents.
“The devil in the details is how does a proposed location, whether in the city of Dayton or Riverside, meet the needs of those served by that branch,” Kambitsch said. “People have so much passion for their libraries, and we’d like to celebrate that passion and give people opportunities to tell us what they think. We want to make sure we’re doing the right thing for them.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2281 or smatthews@coxohio.com.
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