New Washington Branch Takes Shape Ahead of Completion

Daily Dose  |  06/08/2026 9:30 am

Construction continues on the Toledo Lucas County Public Library's new Washington campus in West Toledo, with work remaining on schedule for completion by the end of 2026. As the project enters its final months, the Library is sharing new details about the spaces, services and amenities customers can expect when the new Washington Branch opens following the completion of construction.

The 8-acre campus, located near the corner of Alexis and Tremainsville roads, will include a new Washington Branch, a Toledo Library operations center and a Friends of the Library book center. The project is part of the Library's Building for the Future master plan, a voter-approved effort to modernize and expand library facilities across Lucas County.

"This project is entering an exciting phase because people can begin to see how the spaces will come together," said Jason Kucsma, executive director of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library. "The new Washington Branch was designed around the needs of Toledo Library customers, with flexible spaces for learning, gathering and discovery. We look forward to welcoming the community back to Washington once construction is complete."

At approximately 20,000 square feet, the new Washington Branch will be significantly larger than the former 12,645-square-foot facility. In 2024, the former Washington Branch recorded nearly 90,000 visits, making it one of the busiest locations in the Toledo Library system.

Customers will find expanded community and study rooms, comfortable reading spaces, abundant natural light and dedicated areas for children with interactive features, teens and adults. The branch will also offer access to public computers, wireless internet, smart lockers for holds pickup and a laptop kiosk.

Feedback from Washington-area residents helped shape the design of the new Washington Branch throughout 2024 and early 2025. Through a community survey and a neighborhood listening session with Bostwick Design Partnership, residents shared input on how the building should function both inside and out. Key themes included safer and more accessible site design, warm and comfortable interior spaces, expanded areas for children, teens and adults, and flexible spaces for technology, study and programming. Those priorities helped shape the final design of the new branch.

A centerpiece of the new Washington Branch will be an immersive children's area designed in partnership with Graphite Design + Build. Inspired by the history and character of the surrounding community, the space will feature a walk-through "story neighborhood" with child-sized buildings that encourage imaginative play, exploration and early learning. Designed to support both independent discovery and caregiver interaction, the area will incorporate opportunities for hands-on engagement while creating a welcoming environment for children of all ages.

"We know that play is an important part of early learning," said Nancy Eames, the Library's youth services coordinator. "This space was designed to encourage children to explore, ask questions, tell stories and interact with one another. Every element is intended to support curiosity, creativity and a lifelong love of learning."

Construction of the new campus has involved approximately 35,000 person-hours and zero recordable injuries since breaking ground in June 2025.

In addition to the new branch, the campus will include a new Friends of the Library book center, providing additional space to support the organization's popular used book sales and year-round operations. A new Library operations center will also be located on the property, bringing together key support services that help power daily Library operations across Lucas County.

The Library partnered with The Ability Center to review accessibility throughout its facilities. The assessment—which served as the capstone of a multi-year accessibility initiative launched in 2022—evaluated all Library locations against federal accessibility standards and best practices and identified opportunities to improve entrances, restrooms and access to services. Recommendations from the review are helping inform the design of the new Washington Branch and future Building for the Future projects across the Library system.

“Our goal is to become the most accessible library system in the country, and that requires us to design spaces that are welcoming, inclusive and usable for people of all abilities," said Mike Graybeal, director of operations and deputy fiscal officer for the Toledo Library. "The Ability Center's expertise has been instrumental in helping us identify opportunities to remove barriers and create a more welcoming, accessible customer experience. While this work is visible in the new Washington Branch, the recommendations from this review will help inform Toledo Library projects across our system for years to come."

The new Washington campus was designed by Bostwick Design Partnership, a Cleveland-based architectural and engineering firm, and is being constructed by Toledo-based Lathrop Co. It is one of several projects included in the first phase of the Library's Building for the Future master plan. Additional work includes a new building for the Holland Branch, as well as new libraries in South Toledo and in Whitehouse, Ohio.

In November 2024, Lucas County voters approved a one-mill bond to support capital improvements across the Library system. The $153 million investment supports reconfiguration, renovation, expansion and new construction projects at library locations throughout the county.

For more information about Building for the Future projects, visit toledolibrary.org/buildingforthefuture.