Governor Tony Evers Visits Newly Opened Hammond Public Library Supported by State Grant

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers visited the village of Hammond in western Wisconsin's St. Croix County to celebrate the official opening of the newly constructed Hammond Public Library, praising the modern facility as an essential civic hub for lifelong education, digital connectivity, and community development. The multi-million-dollar project was constructed with substantial financial support from a $4.1 million grant awarded under Wisconsin's Flexible Facilities Program (FFP), a key state infrastructure initiative administered by the Department of Administration to fund transformative public facilities in rural, suburban, and underserved communities across the state.

During his visit, Governor Evers joined local village officials, library trustees, educators, and area residents for a guided tour of the expansive new facility. The modern building replaces the village's former, space-constrained library, offering vastly improved public resources tailored to the needs of a growing population. The facility includes expanded book and multimedia collections for adult, teen, and young readers, spacious quiet study rooms, dynamic collaborative workstations, interactive children's literacy zones, and a large multi-purpose community room equipped to host civic meetings, educational lectures, public hearings, and cultural events for the broader St. Croix County area.

A central feature of the new Hammond Public Library is its robust integration of high-speed digital infrastructure and community health resources. In addition to providing public high-speed Wi-Fi and an updated public computer lab, the building houses dedicated, sound-insulated telehealth consultation suites. These private rooms provide local residents—particularly those who lack reliable broadband access or specialized computing hardware at home—with a confidential, secure environment to attend virtual appointments with medical doctors, behavioral health specialists, and state human services caseworkers without traveling long distances to regional medical centers in the Twin Cities or Eau Claire.

State officials emphasized that the Flexible Facilities Program was established precisely to support multi-functional community centers that address rural service gaps and infrastructure disparities. By combining traditional library resources with broadband access, job training tools, small business workspaces, and telehealth capabilities under a single roof, the state investment delivers comprehensive long-term civic value. Local leaders noted that integrating these diverse services into the public library lowers barriers to essential healthcare and educational opportunities for residents throughout western Wisconsin, ensuring that vital public services remain accessible within local municipal borders.

Village leaders and library administrators expressed deep gratitude for the state funding, noting that the project represents the culmination of years of local planning, municipal collaboration, and sustained community advocacy. Situated along the Interstate 94 corridor east of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, St. Croix County has experienced rapid population growth, creating heightened demand for modern civic infrastructure, family-oriented programming, and expanded educational resources that keep pace with ongoing residential and economic development.

Governor Evers remarked that modern public libraries serve as indispensable pillars of strong, connected communities. He reaffirmed his administration's ongoing commitment to partnering with local governments, school districts, and library systems to ensure that rural and small-town communities across Wisconsin receive the critical capital investments necessary to foster economic vitality, educational achievement, and lifelong learning opportunities for generations of residents to come.