Anythink Libraries and the City of Thornton have entered an agreement to build a library as part of the new Thornton Community Center rebuild project at 2211 Eppinger Blvd. in south Thornton. The 40,000-square-foot building designed by Studiotrope Design Collective will house the Thornton Community Center as well as an approximately 10,000-square-foot Anythink library. Not only will the building include traditional recreation areas like the gymnasium, dance studios, and boxing gym, but it will also house shared spaces for rental, a coffee lounge, a teen area and a makerspace for community members to enjoy. The library will include many of the features of an Anythink library, plus a meditation garden and access to the outdoor park amenities, such as the skate park and playing fields.

“This unique partnership between the City of Thornton and Anythink will create an incredible gathering space for the residents of Thornton and Adams County,” says Thornton Parks, Recreation and Community Programs Director Doug Romig. “The facility will serve our community in a way that I am not aware exists anywhere else, and we are excited to see this vision come to fruition.”

“The Thornton Community Center project provides an opportunity for us to serve the residents of south Thornton in a completely new way,” says Anythink Interim Director Susan Dobbs. “People will have their recreation, learning, social and creative needs all met in one space through this partnership. We’re excited about this collaboration with City of Thornton and what it means for people of all ages who will walk through our doors.”

The design phase of this project is currently underway with construction beginning in the second quarter of 2023. The building is tentatively scheduled to open in fall/winter of 2024. The current Anythink York Street staff and collections will serve the south Thornton community from this new location when it opens.