What's happening at Southdale Library?

Southdale Library closed January 6, 2025, for a new build project. In the time since the building closed, the collection – containing 179,000 books! – was moved to a storage facility and the building decommissioning process has begun.

The demolition of Southdale Library is different than the past “wrecking ball” method. Although it may seem a bit quiet from the outside, there has been a lot of work happening on the inside. Hennepin County has partnered with Better Futures Minnesota, a local nonprofit organization that provides building deconstruction services, to salvage any usable materials from the Southdale Library building. This organization is removing materials such as furniture, interior doors and hardware, bathroom fixtures and accessories, lighting, ceiling tiles, metals, and more from the building that are still in good condition and can be reused elsewhere in the community.

This process is long in nature due to delicate and thoughtful removal work necessary to keep the integrity of the salvaged items intact, while also keeping safety in mind. This method not only keeps many items out of the landfill it also reduces the need for raw materials to make the same product new. To date, around 28 tons of material from the building has been diverted from the landfill.

What’s next in the project?

The salvaging and deconstruction work will continue throughout the spring to prepare the building for demolition. As demolition nears, residents will see fencing go up around the site and large equipment staged in the parking lot.

Project updates

Interested in receiving future updates on the project? Subscribe to the Southdale Library email list or visit the Southdale Library building project page.

Share your stories

Have any fun stories, favorite events, or memorable moments of your time at Southdale Library? We'd love to hear them! Share with us.