After plenty of delays and lots of wheeling and dealing between the city and the U.S. Post Office, the King County Library System (KCLS) is ready to break ground on a new $10.4 million Kenmore branch.

A ceremony is set for 3:15 p.m. June 8 at what will be the home of the new branch, the former home of Kenmore’s U.S. Post Office at 6531 N.E. 181st St.

As many know, the U.S. Post Office has moved across the road into the former Kenmore city hall. In turn, Kenmore government sits in a just-opened new structure on 68th Avenue Northeast.

According to Brooke Fisher of the KCLS communication department, the former post-office structure needs to undergo asbestos abatement prior to its total demolition. She added the library system has agreed to allow the Northshore Fire Department to conduct training exercises in the building after any potentially harmful materials are removed.

Again according to Brooke, KCLS facilities officials estimate a construction period of about 10 months for the new 10,000-square-foot library.

The project is being funded by a $172 million bond issue passed by King County voters. According to information released by KCLS, the new branch will contain a community meeting room, children’s and teen areas and more space for study and reading than is available in the current Kenmore library.

The existing library will remain open during construction of the new facility. Fisher said the older building eventually will be sold.

In the past, KCLS Director Bill Ptacek has stated his organization has been ready to move on the Kenmore project for some time. However, consultants tabbed the former post-office location as the perfect spot for the new library. The problem became that the post office had a long-term lease on its location and could have forced the library to put its plan on hold for some time.

Eventually, after protracted negotiations between the post office and Kenmore city officials, the post office agreed to renovate and move into the former Kenmore city hall. City leaders even moved into temporary office space on Northeast Bothell Way to make the move happen.

According to Ptacek, if residents are curious as to the eventual appearance of their future branch library, they can take a look at the Montlake Library, 2401 24th Ave. E. in Seattle.

As the project moves forward, those interested also can find updated construction information at www.kcls.org/bond/kenmore/.