SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Saturday for a new library in Pacific Highlands Ranch, marking the 37th location of the San Diego Public Library system.
The new library is the first to open in the city since 2019, and it will serve the growing communities of Black Mountain Ranch, Torrey Highlands, Del Mar Mesa and, as the name suggests, Pacific Highlands Ranch.
The facility has several outdoor areas, including public reading porches and designated areas for children and teens. Additionally, it features a free IDEA Lab, where visitors can use creative software and equipment, like 3D printers and scanners, a laser cutter and engraver, a sewing and embroidery machine and Mac computers.
The project cost $28 million, and it was fully funded via the Facility Benefit Assessment funds gathered through developer fees in the communities the library services, according to the city's press release. The city's Engineering and Capital Project Department managed the project.
Mayor Todd Gloria and City Council President Pro Tem Joe LaCava attended the event, along with city staff and hundreds of community members.
“This beautiful new library is more than just a place for books; it’s a community hub where residents can come together, learn, and create,” said Mayor Todd Gloria. “The Pacific Highlands Ranch Library represents my continued commitment to invest in spaces that inspire opportunity and connection for all San Diegans.”
The city says the library is equipped with solar panels, low-flow plumbing fixtures and improved thermal insulation in an effort to meet the city's climate action plan goals.
LaCava says libraries are important for the community, since they support lifelong learning.
"With the grand opening, residents of Pacific Highlands Ranch and neighboring communities will have access to the expansive resources of the San Diego Public Library system, study rooms to meet and collaborate, an IDEA lab, and outdoor spaces, featuring a unique public art installation," he says. "Thank you to the community, the developer, and city staff for working together on the design and construction of our newest and most sustainable library.”
San Diego-based artist created a terra-cotta tile installation at the library's rear entryway courtyard. The public artwork is a word search and spells out words in English, Spanish, and Kumeyaay, a tribute to the people who have lived on the land where the library sits.
Library Director Misty Jones says she's excited for the public to utilize this new space.
“From conception to reality, this library has been a collaboration between the library, City staff and the community," she says. "By working together, we have created a library that meets the needs of this community now and will continue to grow and evolve as those needs change.”
According to the press release, the last libraries built in the city were the Mission Hills-Hillcrest/Knox and San Ysidro libraries. They both opened in 2019.
If you would like more information about the city's library system, follow this link.
