LEWES, Del. - The Lewes Public Library pavilion construction is well underway and is expected to be complete around November.
The project was approved by the Lewes City Council in May and is being funded in part by federal ARPA funding that made its way to the state in 2021.
The pavilion is aimed to mimic the current indoor meeting room, which is about 3,000 square feet. The space would hold gatherings such as children's story times, art camps and music programs. There will also be a TV screen that comes down.
The director of the Lewes Public Library, Jill DiPaolo, says, "We're really excited to see ways that we can partner together with other organizations to just bring more of that free cultural programming to the community for everybody to use and enjoy."
DiPaolo says the pavilion idea first came about in 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic when people were missing a sense of community.
"We're really at the heart of Lewes. Lewes currently does not have any type of community bandstand or local central spot for people to gather and hear cultural programing. And we've become the cultural campus here," said DiPaolo.
Following the expected construction completion in the fall, the pavilion will start holding events in April or May of 2025.
