On Feb. 4, the old Brigham Young Academy passed Provo’s popularity test.
In an election to determine whether Provo City residents would be willing to pay for a $16.8 million bond to locate the new city library on the Academy block, 58 percent of the voters said “yes,” thereby saving the Academy from an impending wrecking ball.
But the entire Academy will not be saved. Three of the four buildings will be destroyed to make room for parking and a modern addition to the main Academy structure, the Education Building, which will be renovated. The Education Building and the addition will become Provo’s new library, an estimated 96,000-square-foot building. Provo’s current library has only 29,000 square feet.
Before construction begins, however, there remains a final hurdle to clear: The Brigham Young Academy Foundation has agreed to raise $6.5 million by June 30 to pay for the renovation of the Education Building. The foundation has received pledges for more than one-third of the sum, with the LDS Church and the Eccles Foundation each agreeing to donate $1 million. For information, call Janita Anderson, Academy Foundation secretary, (801) 225-2923, or write the foundation at PO Box 76, Provo, UT 84603.
