Sullivan City’s first-ever public library transforming community

SULLIVAN CITY — It’s been a long time coming, but Sullivan City residents now have a library to call their own.

The new library sits on over nine acres of land donated to the city by La Joya ISD in 2018. On Monday afternoon, Mayor Alma Salinas opened the emergency exit door located near the back of the 4,360 square-foot library and looked upon a field of opportunity.

Since taking office in 2021, Salinas, a former librarian with La Joya ISD, has made it a priority to build a library in Sullivan City. As she looked over the remaining donated land, she envisioned a park, a new police station, a new fire station, a new city hall and a youth center.

With one vision having come to fruition, she is determined to carry that momentum into these other projects and make them a reality for Sullivan City residents.

“It’s a dream, and I can see it,” Salinas said as she stared at the open field. “Look. I don’t know if you can see it, but I can see it.”

The library includes a number of amenities including a children’s area, two study rooms, a computer lab area, and a community room. Aside from the availability of books and other forms of media, which Salinas said will continue to grow, she said that she hopes residents will take advantage of its available resources.

“It was so surreal to me when they finally started building,” Elizabeth Salinas, permits clerk and code enforcer, said.

She can be found working the reception desk near the front entrance of the library on Mondays, Thursday’s and occasional Saturdays. She said that she can recall Mayor Salinas, who was her librarian in school, talking about the need for a library in their city and the important role it plays.

“It’s a dream come true for all of us here in Sullivan,” she said. “I’m really proud. And I told her that she was one of the reasons this library got built. She kept pushing, and she told me, it wasn’t only her, it was all of us because we all believed in her. I’m very proud of the city and of our mayor for bringing this dream come true to all of us here.”

Sullivan City Mayor Alma Salinas studied a copy of “It’s Your Universe” by Ashley Eckstein as she walked through the new public library on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. (Francisco E. Jimenez | The Monitor)

“In communities like this, there is no such funding for projects like this,” the mayor said.

She credited the previous administration for getting the ball rolling in 2017 and saved three years of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for the new library. The project was also spearheaded by Hidalgo County Precinct 3 Commissioner Everardo “Ever” Villarreal.

“When I saw the opportunity, it was just like a calling that I was able to help and make sure that it did get done and make sure that the city of Sullivan had the support of the precinct to get it done — whichever type of support they needed,” Villarreal said. “I gave the mayor and the commissioners my word that I was going to make sure that this project was going to be successful.”

Aside from helping the project find funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Villarreal also worked with Agua SUD to provide adequate water, sewer, and fire protection to the building.

The city council submitted an application for a grant through the Library Services for Border Cities Grant Program, which is funded by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission on Jan. 14, 2020. The $400,000 grant was approved on Feb. 20, 2020.

In total, the project cost $1,151,605.

“This really means a lot to the city knowing that both the city and Hidalgo County are working together to be able to make improvements for the city,” Villarreal said. “And it’s not just this. We have been working together on paving new roads for the city, so it’s just continued excitement and knowing that we need to work together to be able to provide better services for the citizens of Sullivan City.”

The first-ever public library in Sullivan City, located on 203 Paloma St., opened its doors on July 31, 2024. (Francisco E. Jimenez | The Monitor)

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on April 21, 2022 at 203 Paloma St. for the project, which was engineered by CG5 Architect and constructed by G&G Contractors.

The county held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Nov. 21, 2023 to officially hand over the new library building to Sullivan City, and the library officially opened on July 31.

The library still has an abundance of work, including finding a library director, getting Texas Public Library accreditation, and becoming part of the Hidalgo County Library System. Salinas also has plans to begin hosting workshops and learning seminars for community members, as well as book clubs and activities for children.

“I know that this building is going to transform a lot of our lives, our community lives, in one way or another,” the mayor said. “The whole idea behind it is just so that it can be a way that you can transform yourself. It’s about being proud of where you are from, and then, of course, maximizing the resources that are offered to you.”

The library is open Monday through Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.

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