The new Elk Grove Library had its soft opening on Thursday, Oct. 8, and kids were running around playing games almost right away. The Sacramento Bee reported that teenagers settled into study rooms and adults lined up to check out books. Peter Coyl, director and CEO of Sacramento Public Library, told the Bee, "It takes my breath away."
The move changes two things in Elk Grove. The new building at 9260 Elk Grove Blvd. fixes the practical problems that made the old branch hard to use. The building the library left behind at 8900 Elk Grove Blvd. now sits empty on Historic Main Street, and the Teen Center lost its space in the same season. The new library is open. What happens in Old Town is still being decided.
What a Former Rite Aid Fixes
The library moved about a mile east into a Rite Aid store that closed in 2019. According to the Bee, the building is 18,147 square feet, about 4,000 square feet bigger than the old branch, with nearly twice as many parking spaces and new electric vehicle chargers.
Parking matters here because the old site's problems were practical ones. Sacramento Public Library has said that parking, the two-story layout and operating costs were all problems at 8900 Elk Grove Blvd. The Bee describes the old branch as a two-story, 13,875-square-foot building. A single-story former drugstore with a big parking lot solves all three, which explains the choice of building.
The move took years. The Elk Grove Citizen laid out the timeline:
- 2018: A city study found the community had outgrown the existing branch.
- 2021: The city bought the former Rite Aid property.
- October 2023: City Council approved the schematic design.
- February 2025: Construction began.
- July 25, 2026: The old branch closed so the collection could move, and patrons were sent to other Sacramento Public Library branches, including Franklin Library.
- Oct. 8, 2026: Soft opening, as described by the Bee.
The Citizen reports a project budget of about $15.5 million. That includes about $8.7 million in state grants, $1.3 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act money, about $2.1 million in library ownership and maintenance funding, and about $3.3 million in library capital facilities fees.
A Library You Can Use When It's Closed
The new building also lets you use the library outside its open hours. Several features don't require going inside, or don't require a trip at all:
- The book locker. The Bee reports that Elk Grove's locker is the first in the Sacramento Public Library system. You can pick up held books from outside the building at any time, even when the library is closed.
- The Library of Things. In its opening announcement, Sacramento Public Library said Elk Grove's collection lets cardholders borrow household tools, electronics and kitchen equipment. The library's general Library of Things page says items go out for two weeks with no renewals. Borrowers must be over 18, have a library card and owe less than $5 in fees.
- EV chargers. These are listed in both the library's announcement and the Bee's coverage, so a library visit can double as a charging stop.
Inside, the library's announcement lists three study rooms, a quiet reading area, teen gaming, a children's play space with its own patio, and a meeting room. The Citizen adds an expanded teen area, a makerspace, new restrooms and a larger meeting room than the old branch had. In a July preview, The Sacramento Bee reported that Sacramento Public Library said the makerspace could include sewing machines, craft supplies, musical instruments and 3D printers. That list described plans, so ask staff what was actually installed.
One practical note. As of this writing, the Elk Grove branch page shows the new address but lists the library as closed every day. That looks like the page hasn't caught up with the move. Check the page or call before planning a visit around specific hours.
The Sculpture Ties the Move to 1908
The new plaza has a landmark of its own. Radiant Eddy, by artist Aaron T. Stephan, is made from 32 traditional streetlights arranged in a sweeping, dance-like shape. The City of Elk Grove says it creates a stream of light rising from the plaza at night.
The sculpture's name is the reason it belongs here. It honors Harriet Eddy. According to a history published by Harriet G. Eddy Middle School, she became principal of Elk Grove Union High School in 1906, started and ran the school's small library, and helped set up Elk Grove's first public library branch. That branch opened on Oct. 19, 1908, and was California's first county free library branch. Eddy later joined the State Library staff and helped organize county library service across California.
The new branch opened this month, close to the 118th anniversary of that first one. Elk Grove's library has outgrown its home before, and this move continues that history.
The Building Left Behind on Historic Main Street
The move left two things open in Old Town. One is the old library building. The other is the Teen Center. The city did not renew the Teen Center's lease, which expired at the end of September. The city's statement says it will assess future youth programming and renovation needs. It does not rule out a future youth center.
In the same few months, Old Town lost its library branch in late July and its Teen Center in late September. The city's process for reusing 8900 Elk Grove Blvd., called "Beyond Books: Reimagining 8900 Elk Grove Blvd," is where those two gaps are being discussed together.
The City Manager's updates describe how much outreach has already happened:
| Outreach | When | Turnout |
|---|---|---|
| Youth sessions at Kerr Middle School, Elk Grove High School, the old library and the Teen Center | April 29 to May 21 | 71 participants |
| Nonprofit focus group | July 15 | 16 participants |
| Business focus group | July 29 | Not reported |
| Two general community workshops | Sept. 2 | About 35 each |
| Final community workshop | Sept. 16 | About 20 residents |
| Citywide survey | During the process | 333 responses |
The young people who took part described something the old branch never was. According to the city, their ideas focused on flexible spaces that combine food, creative activities, music, gaming and quiet study, so that one place could serve many different people at once.
That description sits close to what both closed buildings used to do: the library offered quiet study, and the Teen Center gave young people a place to spend time. The question in front of the city is whether one historic building on Main Street can take on both roles.
What Happens Next
Two Old Town decisions are on the City Council's Oct. 28 agenda.
First, city staff are scheduled to present community feedback and recommend which reuse options for 8900 Elk Grove Blvd. should be studied. That step picks options to study. It is not a final decision. The project page schedules the combined input, a feasibility analysis and a recommendation to Council for December 2026.
Second, the Old Town Streetscape Improvements project lists Oct. 28 as the date to award its construction contract. The project covers Elk Grove Boulevard between School Street and Waterman Road and adds buffered bike lanes, continuous sidewalks, crossings, bus shelters, landscaping, drainage and underground utilities. Construction is scheduled to start in December 2026 and finish in spring 2028.
So the city will decide what to study for the old library around the same time crews start rebuilding the street outside it. Whatever goes into 8900 Elk Grove Blvd. will likely open onto a different Main Street than the one the library left in July.
At Portfolio Real Estate, we're following the Oct. 28 Council meeting and the December recommendation because changes in Old Town affect how the whole Elk Grove Boulevard corridor works. If you'd like to talk through how projects like these play into your home's value, ask us for a free home valuation and a personalized plan.
