Work replacing Thornton's old Community Center on Eppinger Boulevard hit its second stage Feb. 27 as the city officially kicked off construction on its successor.

“We all stood here back in October on a very cold day to say goodbye to the original library and community center from 1974,” Mayor Jan Kulmann told a group of fellow City Councilors, staff, neighbors and partners from Anythink Library Feb. 27 in the park overlooking the building's location. “This site has seen a lot Thornton history, whether you grew up coming here to hang out with friends, meet neighbors for a cup of coffee, check out a good book or enjoy outdoor recreation, this space is so important to us.”

Work on the new 40,000 square-foot building is expected to continue into late 2024.

According to plans, the 40,000-square-foot building designed by Studiotrope Design Collective will house the Thornton Community Center as well as an approximately 10,000-square-foot Anythink library.

The building will have traditional recreation areas like the gymnasium, dance studios, and boxing gym as well as shared spaces for rental, a coffee lounge, a teen area and a makerspace for community members to enjoy.

The library will include many of the features of an Anythink library, plus a meditation garden and access to the outdoor park amenities, such as the skate park and playing fields.

“This unique partnership between the City of Thornton and Anythink will create an incredible gathering space for the residents of Thornton and Adams County,” Thornton Parks, Recreation and Community Programs Director Doug Romig said in a written statement. “The facility will serve our community in a way that I am not aware exists anywhere else, and we are excited to see this vision come to fruition.”

The building is tentatively scheduled to open in fall/winter of 2024. The current Anythink York Street staff and collections will serve the south Thornton community from this new location when it opens.

“Anythink and Thornton know that when we work together, great things happen for our community,” Lynne Fox, a trustee for the Anythink Board of Directors, said. “Thornton staff has been working with partners for decades so our residents are safer and happier and more prosperous. This another growing example of that. Soon, parents will be able to drop a kid at the skatepark, drop another kid at a dance class and then head over to the library for story time. It's going to be a wonderful experience for our community.”