Michele Willer-Allred | Moorpark Acorn
People said it wouldn’t happen. But on Jan. 27, Moorpark proved them wrong.
After nearly two decades of planning, false starts and community advocacy, city leaders officially broke ground on the long-awaited new Moorpark City Library. They were joined in the Jan. 27 morning festivities by area representatives, community members and longtime library supporters—all gathered to celebrate the milestone.
The City Council unanimously approved the construction contract and final plans in August 2024 for the $34 million, state-of-the-art library, which will replace the aging Moorpark Avenue facility built in 1980. The new 17,272-square-foot library will be located at 83 High St., across from the post office, and is expected to open in 2027.
“We did it, guys. We’re here,” City Librarian Christine Conwell told the crowd, drawing cheers.
The modern facility will include dedicated spaces for early childhood, youth, teens and adults, along with study and meeting rooms, co-working areas with high-speed Wi-Fi, an innovation center and a Friends of the Library space. It will anchor the city’s emerging downtown civic center and replace the existing 7,900-square-foot library, which will be demolished.
“This building represents so much more than just a new space,” Conwell said. “It reflects years of collaboration, planning and belief in what a library can be for a community.”
Chelsie Kennedy, a 36-year Moorpark resident and field director for Ventura County Supervisor Janice Parvin’s office, said she was honored to attend the groundbreaking and thanked the City Council for seeing the project through.
“I have a 2-year-old daughter, and hopefully in about 24 months I’ll be bringing her here to the children’s center,” Kennedy said. “We’re so excited to see everything.”
Funding for the project includes several million dollars in state and federal support secured by U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley, state Sen. Henry Stern and Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin. The building was designed by LPA Inc.
Bernadette McDowell, president of the Moorpark Friends of the Library, said the group has been working toward the groundbreaking since at least 2016, with discussions of a new library dating back to 2007.
“We’re not only breaking ground for a new building,” McDowell said. “We’re celebrating a shared belief in the enduring power of libraries to educate, connect and inspire people of all ages.”
Friends of the Library is holding a commemorative brick fundraiser to support interior enhancements and expanded programs. For more information, go to mfotl.com/brickfundraiser.
This story was originally published by the Moorpark Acorn on January 31, 2026.
Issues: 119th Congress, Local Issues, Transportation and Infrastructure