A winter storm damaged this Indiana public library. Now we know when it will reopen.

The southwest branch of the Monroe County Public Library will reopen July 1.

“We can't wait to welcome our community back to their Southwest Branch,” MCPL Director Grier Carson said in an emailed statement.

“We are grateful for the patience and support that our community has shown as we've worked through this challenging project,” he said.

The building, at 890 W. Gordon Pike, closed in mid-January after pipes got damaged during a storm and dumped 3 to 4 inches of water onto the floor.

The insurance process has not been finalized, Carson said, but he expects the claim to be near $300,000. The library system had to pay a $10,000 deductible.

“We're equally grateful to our many project partners for their time and effort in helping us resolve the investigation and complete the restoration of the building,” Carson said.

He had said in March that the library’s building services manager, Brian Leibacher, called him on the morning of Jan. 15 and said, “It’s raining inside the building.”

When Carson arrived he saw the hallway near the facility’s western entrance covered in water. The deluge had spread into adjacent rooms, down the hallway and into other parts of the $14.5 million structure that had opened to the community only a few months earlier.

Carson has said that pipes burst after cold air entered the building's HVAC system and met with hot air and water after an HVAC system component froze and kept a vent on the facility's roof in an open position. However, he said the exact cause and sequence of events are still under investigation by the insurance company, Cincinnati Insurance. Library leaders expect to know more once they receive a final report in late July or early August.

Carson said when he first saw the damage, he was “shocked and heartbroken” for the public and staff.

In March, Carson stood on cardboard that covered the concrete floor. Crews from the mitigation company ripped up half of the library’s vinyl plank flooring. Nearby, the bottom 3 feet of walls have been removed, revealing views of adjacent rooms.

Carson told the library board last week that all of the main area’s vinyl flooring had been reinstalled.

However, the flooring in the children’s area presented some challenges, he said. About a third of the original floor was damaged, but the library could not find matching flooring to replace the damaged parts. That meant nearly all of the flooring in the children’s area needed to be changed.

The library system built the branch in part to provide easier access to patrons on the city’s southwest side. Carson said it proved popular especially with students from nearby Batchelor Middle School.

The southwest branch has tranquil areas for reading, such as on the southeast side, but three central spaces were designed to accommodate a bit more noise, or even rambunctiousness. A teen space has a video game area with a PS5 gaming system and virtual reality headset, a large monitor and collaborative workspaces.

The building's architect, Christine Matheu, designed the structure to take advantage of its tranquil surroundings. Natural light floods into the building through walls of glass, while views of trees in the children’s area evoke lounging in a treehouse.

“The whole building is intended to be … restful and connecting you with the natural world and making you feel at peace,” Matheu said last summer just before the facility opened.

A treehouse with 'lightsaber' fixtures: What the library looked like before the storm

Carson and Southwest Branch Manager Cathy Riley said Thursday the staff is eager to reconnect with patrons.

“All patrons will be able to fully participate in our free, all-ages Summer Reading Program,” Riley said. “We'll also have a variety of programs available. We are so grateful for the love, support and kindness demonstrated by our patrons throughout these last few months.”

Boris Ladwig can be reached at bladwig@heraldt.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: When will Monroe County Public Library's southwest branch reopen?