LEWISTON – The Friends of the Lewiston Public Library received a $5,000 grant from the Hannaford Charitable Foundation for the library’s Cultural Learning Center. The funds will go toward the construction of the new center that is expected to begin by early April.

“The Friends of LPL, the city of Lewiston and the library are very appreciative of the continued support from the Hannaford Brothers Co.,” said library Director Rick Speer. “We are proud to have them as a partner in this important downtown development effort.”

The Cultural Learning Center Project will involve an exterior renovation of the Pilsbury Building, which was constructed in 1870 at the corner of Lisbon and Pine streets. Both the Pilsbury Building and the original Lewiston Public Library on Park Street are on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1996 the city expanded the library facility by connecting the original library with the Pilsbury Building. The new project will restore about 12,000 square feet of space on three floors in the corner section of the building.

The Friends of LPL have been raising funds to assist the city with the project. To date the library Board of Trustees and the friends have received or raised more than $1,200,000 from a variety of Maine foundations and other sources.

The facility expansion will include a regional history center and archives, a performance/meeting hall, a computer lab and a conference room. The performance hall will accommodate 150 people and will allow the library to host an extensive range of innovative cultural programming, including author talks, dance classes, poetry readings, theme-inspired potluck suppers and musical performances.

The facility should be open to the public by April of 2005.