Ground soon will be broken for a newer and bigger library in Maple Grove.

The Hennepin County Board Tuesday approved the design for the library, which will be built north of the Maple Grove Government Center at 8531 Elm Creek Blvd. Maple Grove will donate 4.75 acres to Hennepin County for the library and the 350-stall parking ramp.

Construction on the $27.9 million library will begin by early 2008 and be completed by early 2010. The 40,000-square-foot, single-story library will replace the current 15,000-square-foot library that was built in 1987 and renovated in 1996.

The Maple Grove Library is one of the busiest of the 26 libraries in Hennepin County, said Hennepin County Library Director Amy Ryan. Borrowing at the library has increased about 80 percent during the past decade, a testament to the explosive population growth and voracious reading appetite of residents, she said. Residents borrow about a million books, CDs, DVDs and other items each year.

The new library will include a flexible floor plan that can accommodate community changes and will have a raised floor to add technology as needed, Ryan said. The library will include a separate section for the 55-and-older crowd and an expansive space for teens, allowing them to study alone or in groups.

Library officials are working with the Minnesota Children's Museum and the Science Museum of Minnesota to develop interactive programs to promote early childhood literacy, Ryan said.

Hennepin County also is building a 30,000-square-foot library in Plymouth. The current library will close at the end of the year while the new one is built on the site. The new Plymouth library will open in early 2010, Ryan said. A new library in Brooklyn Park also is being planned.

Mary Lynn Smith • 612-673-4788

AMONG THE DESIGN FEATURES:

A reading porch overlooking the nearby lake.

Sustainable energy features including a green roof, natural plantings and an environmentally friendly stormwater runoff system.

A parking lot for today's large baby strollers.

Pathways that connect the library to downtown.

Mary Lynn Smith • mlsmith@startribune.com