Marion County officials will break ground on Tuesday on a new expansion planned for a southwest Ocala library.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of Freedom Public Library will take place on Tuesday, November 12, at 10 a.m.

The event will be held at the library, which is located at 5870 SW 95th Street in Ocala.

Freedom Public Library
Freedom Public Library is located at 5870 SW 95th Street in Ocala

Original plans called for the facility’s expansion to nearly three times its original size, from 8,100 square feet to over 32,000 square feet.

The project has been several years in the making, with Ocala-News.com reporting the county’s bid process for designs back in January 2022.

Currently, Freedom Public Library serves a growing community of residents in southwest Ocala.

The facility regularly serves as a voting site and saw droves of visitors during early voting and last week’s general election.

Freedom Public Library voting site in 2020
Freedom Public Library serves as a polling station in southwest Ocala during elections.

Freedom Public Library is open Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., closing one hour earlier (6 p.m.) on Friday and Saturday.

The library offers computers, printers, Wi-Fi, copiers, faxes, and meeting rooms.

UPDATE: An earlier version of this story reported the incorrect square footage for the new library.

Jeremiah Delgado has lived in Florida for over 25 years, moving to the Sunshine State from Chicago, Illinois in 1999, just before his 11th birthday. While living in Winter Springs, Florida, Delgado attended...