Clay County has awarded a bid for the library expansion project, with construction set to begin in the next week.
The 3,000 square-foot expansion will cost an estimated $1.4 million. Clay County Executive Dale Reagan said the county is very happy with the price despite receiving only one bid.
“We thought that first we were gonna have to maybe pull out a couple or one of those alternates, but I think now, working with the development district and the state of Tennessee, we think we are going to be able to do all of it and everything,” Reagan said.
The project will expand the children’s space and create more space for community events. Reagan said the library was built in the early 70s, and the added space is greatly needed.
“It’s still in good shape as far as the construction of the building itself and everything, but as time goes on, we have outgrown it,” Reagan said. “Our library is used very, very often, and we saw the need and that we needed to do something.”
Reagan said grant funding and donations will fully cover the project. Reagan said he is excited and looks forward to the completion of the project.
“We are very blessed here in Clay County to be able to extend the size of that and put some more programs in it, like telehealth,” Reagan said. “There is gonna be a section in there that citizens can come, and it will be a private setting where they can go in and talk to their doctor, and we are excited about that.”
Reagan said the subcontractor is expected to begin digging and setting footers to set up before pouring concrete in the next week.
Reagan said the project should have no problem meeting the August deadline.
