City Of El Paso’s First Completely Green Building To Open Soon

In about two months, the doors will open at the City of El Paso’s first completely green building – the 10,000-square-foot Cielo Vista Branch Library.

“This will be a great center for the Cielo Vista neighborhood and I hope for the whole city,” said John Sandstrom, the librarian and acting manager of the new $2 million library. “It will be a much more efficient building to run. We will be using less power, less gas, less water. “

ABC-7 was there Wednesday as the first of about 50,000 books were put on the shelves.

“This fills a major gap for us,” Sandstrom said. “The old branch closed down a little over three years ago. We are going to be a fully wireless building and in bringing wireless to this building we’re also bringing it to the entire park.”

Those who come to nearby Vista Del Valle Park will be able to exercise their minds and their bodies. On one end is the Multi-Purpose Center, and on the other end it’ll be book-ended by the Cielo Vista Library.

“The more things you have to bring the community together in one place will strengthen each other,” Sandstrom said. “A parks-library partnership is a very strong partnership. You will be able to come and make a day of it.”

Inside the library you’ll find everything from great natural lighting to a coffee shop, all shiny and new.

“What I think really sets this place apart is the design,” Sandstrom said.

Construction on the Frank Lloyd Wright prairie-style building has been going on for the past 16 months.

“We’re looking forward to being able to invite the public in to use it and look at it,” he said, “and see what a fabulous facility this is going to be.” The date for the grand opening hasn’t be set, but it is expected to open to the public in early November.