The Springfield-Greene County Library has received a significant gift towards a new auditorium at its Library Center branch on South Campbell. The library district announced in a press release that the Hatch Foundation has made a $600,000 donation towards the construction project.
In a statement Erin Danastasio, executive director of the Foundation, said “This space will provide wonderful opportunities for the community to come together and enjoy new experiences, from live performances to visual arts and book signings. I am thankful for the vision of this new space and the regional impact it will have."
The planned auditorium will be named the Hatch Auditorium after the Foundation. It will be nearly 9,500 square feet and seat 500 in a facility on the west side of the current Library Center building. The library district expects to break ground in September.
It is one of three major projects the Springfield-Greene County Library currently has underway after receiving ARPA funding for capital projects in 2022. Plans include renovations to the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library that will close that library for ten months starting May 6, and a still developing plan to provide a new or renovated library branch building in Republic. The district will be reimbursed for half of the total combined costs of the projects up to $10.5 million.