Pickerington's Library Wants to Stop Renting Its Second Branch. Here's What That Means on Refugee Road and on the Ballot.

What happens to the Sycamore Plaza Library after summer 2028? According to the Pickerington Public Library, it closes. The library would hand the space back to its landlord and move those services into a new building it owns, about 28,000 square feet on two floors on Refugee Road. The Main Library on Opportunity Way would stay open. The system would still have two locations, and the northern one would sit in a building the community owns.

That change from renting to owning is the core of the plan. It's also why the 1.5-mill levy on the November 3, 2026 ballot reaches further than a building fund.

A Library Branch Built Inside Someone Else's Building

The library's case for a new branch starts with the lease. Its information center, posted September 8, 2026, says the leased Sycamore Plaza space limits how far the library can expand services, collections, programs and community space. Because it's a lease, the library also can't change the building much to keep up with what patrons need.

The scale of that limit shows up in a 2023 Lancaster Eagle-Gazette report. At the time, Sycamore Plaza measured 7,000 square feet, and that was after an expansion. The same report said the library had bought land for a new location and was serving more than 65,000 people. If the 7,000-square-foot figure still holds, the planned branch would be about four times the size of the space it replaces.

The idea isn't new. The library held community input sessions in 2025 and published a Facilities Master Plan dated August 18, 2025. Community and staff feedback in that plan named population growth as the main challenge. It also pointed to after-school hours, when space is in heavy demand, and to the need for more quiet study areas.

What the Refugee Road Plan Puts on the Site

The library now places the branch on Refugee Road between Milnor Road and the Springcreek Drive intersection. It describes the site as central to the northern part of its service area, with better visibility, easier access, more parking and room to grow than the current location. Older documents described the site differently. The 2023 Eagle-Gazette report put the purchased parcels at Pleasant View Drive and Refugee Road, and the 2025 master plan placed the branch near Pleasant View Drive. The library's current wording is the one to go by.

The building is designed around the needs the master plan identified. The listed features are:

• Maker Space for hands-on learning and making
• Sensory Room for community members with sensory needs
• Dedicated Teen Space where teens can gather, read and use library resources
• Large and small community meeting rooms for programs, study and work
• Community Stair that works as theater-style seating for large programs and as everyday space for reading and working
• Outdoor Terrace for gathering, reading and working

The plans also include an elevator between floors, ADA-compliant movement throughout the building and a dedicated nursing room for parents and caregivers. The library lists the project cost at $25,000,000.

A larger building also costs more to run. The library estimates about $3 million a year in operating costs for a full-service location of 25,000 to 28,000 square feet. It adds that much of that amount isn't new spending, because the branch takes over from Sycamore Plaza.

Why the Ballot Question Covers More Than the Building

This is where the plan connects to the levy. The Fairfield County Board of Elections lists the measure as a 1.5-mill additional tax levy for current expenses. The library calls it a continuing levy. That means it has no set expiration date and stays in place unless a future legal or voter-approved process changes it.

The library's FAQ addresses the obvious question directly. Levy money would support operations, services, staffing, collections, technology, facility maintenance and capital projects, plus the cost of financing planned facility improvements. The proceeds aren't limited to building the new branch. The library also says a continuing levy gives it the steady, predictable revenue it needs to plan the financing and operation of the branch.

The library's current local levy dates to 2018. For a home with a $300,000 market value, the library estimates these costs:

Put another way, the library estimates the new levy at about $53 a year for every $100,000 of market value. That's nearly three times what the 2018 levy costs on the same home. The library also offers some statewide context. Public libraries account for about 2.5% of all property taxes collected in Ohio, and property tax levies and the state's Public Library Fund are libraries' two main sources of money. These are the library's own estimates. Your county auditor's office can tell you what a specific parcel would actually pay.

The library says what happens if the levy fails. The Board of Trustees would reevaluate the new branch, including its timing and scope, along with the library's future operating plans and service levels, based on the money available. The sources reviewed didn't turn up an organized campaign committee on either side of the measure.

From Design to a Summer 2028 Opening

If the plan goes ahead on the library's current schedule, the steps are:

1. Design: now through 2026
2. Construction: Spring 2027
3. Opening: Summer 2028

The library says construction schedules and other factors could move the final opening date. Until the new building opens, Sycamore Plaza stays in service. The library plans to leave that location only once the Refugee Road branch is open.

Because the project is still in design, there's still time to ask questions. The library is holding two "Inside the Plans" information and Q&A sessions in October, one at each current location.

The Library Calendar Between Now and the Vote

The levy sessions fall in the middle of a busy fall at both branches. Here's what's on the calendar in date order:

• Tuesday, Oct. 13, 6:30 p.m.: "Inside the Plans" Q&A at Sycamore Plaza Library, the branch the new building would replace
• Wednesday, Oct. 14, 6:30 p.m.: "Inside the Plans" Q&A at Pickerington Main Library
• Saturday, Oct. 24, 6–9 p.m.: Smoke & Mirrors, an adult night of magic in the Pickerington Main Library Atrium at 201 Opportunity Way, with a magic performance, a silent auction and refreshments. It's the library's fall fundraiser, with VIP table seating and general admission tickets.
• Thursday, Oct. 29, 1–3 p.m.: Trick or Treat at the Library. The city's Tots Trick or Treat runs at City Hall from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. the same day for ages 2 to 5, and Community Trick or Treat runs throughout Pickerington from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 3: General election, with the library's 1.5-mill continuing levy on the ballot
• Nov. 4–8: Fall Book Sale at Pickerington Main Library. CityScene's calendar lists hours of 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and noon to 3 p.m. Sunday. The Friends of the Library page still shows last year's dates, so check with the library before you go.

The October 13 session at Sycamore Plaza takes place in the space the plan would retire. It's a good chance to compare the current branch with what the library has planned for Refugee Road.

I come from construction management, so I keep an eye on public building projects like the Refugee Road branch as they move from design to groundbreaking. If you'd like to talk about how a planned project or a new levy could show up on a Pickerington home you own or are considering, Bryce G Smith is glad to help. Schedule a free consultation.