PORTERVILLE, CA — The Porterville City Council approved construction plans for a new 16,000-square-foot library on Olive Avenue during a meeting in January 2026. The project was approved by a 4-1 vote.
The new building is expected to cost $22 million. It will replace the former library that was destroyed in a fire that claimed the lives of two firefighters. Since the loss of the original building, the city has been without a permanent library.
Budget issues and financial challenges had stalled the project for six years. According to ABC30 Action News, the council moved forward with the project despite those previous delays and the city's financial constraints.
To provide services while the project was on hold, the city opened a temporary library at the corner of Olive Avenue and Main Street in 2022. That location currently provides residents with 40,000 books and computer access.
The new library will be located near the site of the planned Santa Fe sports complex. Mayor Greg Meister said the library is part of a larger plan to improve the city and create a new gathering place for residents.
With the council’s approval, the city is now ready to move into the construction phase to restore the full range of library services that were lost in the fire.
