JUNE 2025 - Library Progress Update: JC Frey: Is it “Fray” or “Fry?” What’s in a building?

We have some exciting progress to share about our long-awaited library renovation. On May 27, 2025, the City Council approved the issuance of a $40 million municipal bond, $30 million of which is designated for the library renovation, with the remainder going toward the Swim Center. Like a mortgage, these bonds will be paid off over 20 or 30 years, allowing the city to responsibly finance these major investments. When combined with existing grant and Measure J funds totaling $15 million, this funding brings us closer to realizing our vision.

We expect to receive construction bid results in early June, which will give us a clearer picture of final costs and what is needed to bring the project across the finish line.

In the meantime, we are preparing for our temporary relocation. We’re finalizing lease agreements for a temporary storefront library, storage, and office space. We hope to announce the locations very soon. Keep an eye on the City Council agendas for June 11 or June 25 for updates on library-related leases.

There has been some community chatter recently with some wondering if the JC Frey Building might be cut from the renovation if construction costs run high. Before jumping to conclusions, let’s talk about what this building is and why it matters.

First: How do you pronounce it? It is “Frey” like fry, as in French fry, not “fray.” The building is not connected to the well-known architect Albert Frey, but rather to Dr. R.G. Frey and the Junior Chamber of Commerce (the Jaycees). In fact, Dr. Frey generously donated $10,000 toward the construction of this building at 1911 E. Baristo Road in the 1960s. If you are curious, here is a great archived article about its history: https://tinyurl.com/ynfusz7z. The article comes from our own Desert Sun archive housed at the California Digital Newspaper Collection.

Fun fact: Dr. Frey loved playing bridge, and the building once hosted numerous tournaments and community gatherings.

As part of our updated Main Library design, we are expanding services and amenities but not our footprint. That means we need to relocate some essential services to the JC Frey Building in order to make space. A few highlights of what is new in the Main Library include a larger Children’s Room, expanded public restrooms, a new Community Room with double the current seating capacity (up to 180 people), and four new small-group study rooms. To make room for these enhancements, we plan to relocate the Local History Archive and the Friends of the Library workspace, office, and donation center to the JC Frey Building.

Community input consistently emphasized the importance of local history and cultural resources. We are committed to giving the archive the space it deserves to grow, be preserved, and be more accessible to researchers and the public.

The Friends of the Library are also vital to our success, contributing between $90,000 and $200,000 annually through daily book sales and fundraising efforts. They rely on adequate space to sort, organize, and prepare the thousands of donated materials that support our book sale room and other initiatives.

If construction costs exceed our budget and the JC Frey Building renovation is eliminated, it will not be a simple cost-saving measure. Redesigning the Main Library to house these displaced services would be expensive and would force difficult choices about which services to scale back or eliminate entirely.

Our community deserves better. We are staying hopeful that construction bids will be within budget. But if not, our Palm Springs Public Library Foundation is ready to step up, and we invite the community to join us.

If you or someone you know values the library’s services, especially local history, community spaces, or children’s programming, we encourage you to consider a gift or naming opportunity to support this project.

Reach out to our Library Foundation President, Bill Wylie, at bwylie@pslibraryfoundation.org or Foundation Executive Director Peter Pearson, at ppearson@pslibraryfoundation.org to learn more about charitable gifts or legacy opportunities. It’s never too early to invest in the future of your library.