The newest branch of the Fort Worth Public Library will host its grand opening Feb. 26 at La Gran Plaza, 4200 South Freeway, near El Mercado, in Suite 1338.

Workers began transferring books, furniture and other materials from the former library building, 501 East Bolt St., on Feb. 14, and will hang a temporary banner while their official sign is shipped, La Gran Biblioteca Branch Manager Ariel Corral said.

“We totally underestimated how quick they were going to be,” Theresa Davis, the Fort Worth Public Library’s communications manager, said.

The new location will increase the library’s foot traffic; increase the number of kids with library cards; offer a bigger space within the mall where families can gather and library management expects foot traffic to double to 160,000, the Report previously reported.

The former location on East Bolt Street is being renovated to become the Genealogy, History & Archives Unit of the Fort Worth Public Library’s new headquarters — the department is moving from the library’s location downtown.

“Fort Worth firm JLL is contracted by the City to manage the sale and development of the land as well as the relocation of the Central Library. Terms of the sale require the buyer to help develop a new, modern Central Library in downtown to better meet the needs of residents,” according to a press release from the library.

As for La Gran Biblioteca, the location will be open from noon to 8 p.m. on Monday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and closed on Sunday.

“You finally get to see the space come to life,” Corral said.

Grand opening festivities will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 26.

Cristian ArguetaSoto is the community engagement journalist at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him by email or via Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

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Cristian is a May 2021 graduate of Texas Christian University. At TCU, ArguetaSoto served as staff photographer at TCU360 and later as its visual editor, overseeing other photojournalists. A Fort Worth...

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