The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, along with other parish and city officials, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday for the new Epps Memorial Library at 1320 North Simmons St. in Lake Charles.

The $2.4 million project includes a 7,043-square-foot facility with an expansive area for books and media, reading areas, study rooms, conference space, a large meeting space for community programs, and workspaces for employees. The new library also has an expanded parking area.

Construction began in August of 2024.              

“This new Epps Memorial Library means a lot to me -- I grew up just down the road and was here when the original building opened. I was about 10 years old, and I remember how exciting it was to have a place like this in the neighborhood,” said District 2 Police Juror Mike Smith. “Now, seeing it rebuilt even better after everything we’ve been through; I couldn’t be prouder. Our staff and the Calcasieu Parish Public Library team worked side by side to make this happen, and it’s going to be a great space for learning, gathering, and growing together.”

“We are excited and grateful for the reopening of Epps Memorial Library. It has been five years of hard work and patience.” said Brent Washington, Calcasieu Parish Public Library Board Director. “This reopening is just another example of the resilience, persistence and collaborative efforts of our community. It has truly been a community effort.”

The facility sustained heavy damage in the 2020 hurricanes and it was determined that the cost of repairing it was more than the cost of building a new facility. The new library will also have an expanded parking area.

As the administrator of parish public property, the Police Jury is required to provide space for the Calcasieu Parish Public Library.

Project contractor is K & J Development of SWLA, LLC. Architect is David Brossett of Brossett Architect LLC.