Lake Charles Is Getting A Brand New Library!

Calcasieu Parish Police Jury has good news. The long-awaited groundbreaking ceremony for the Epps Memorial Library is going to happen on Monday, Aug. 12. This event will take place at the original site in Lake Charles at 1320 North Simmons Street.

Since 2020, the community library has been operating out of a temporary building on N. MLK Highway. The beloved reading center had suffered major damage from Hurricane Laura. If that wasn't bad enough, the temporary building caught on fire in January 2024. Everything was destroyed. After a second disaster, the Epps Memorial Library got another blessing with a new temporary building.

Epps relocated for a third time and settled in at the Donald Ray Stevens Community Center on Cessford Street. However, it won't be there for long. Plans are in motion for the vital community resource to return to its original location soon says Calcasieu Parish Library Director Marjorie Harrison. Epps is going back home!

The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury reports the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Epps Memorial Library will take place at 9 a.m., Monday, Aug. 12, at the original site 1320 North Simmons St. in Lake Charles. Plans for a new and improved facility include 7,043 square feet of space, a conference room, a larger area for books and media use, a study area, a large meeting space for community programs, and workspaces for employees.

Please note groundbreaking event is not open to the public. However, the upcoming ceremony is evidence of real progress being made and cause for a celebration. Residents can look forward to the return of this important public resource to the community in the coming months. Construction on the new facility will begin immediately. Coming soon, more details will be announced as to when the all-new Epps Memorial Library is scheduled to open.