photo by: Gould Evans Architects

A rendering depicts the exterior of a proposed new $4.7 million library in downtown Eudora.

Story updated at 8 p.m. Tuesday:

Eudora voters have narrowly rejected the construction of a nearly $5 million library, according to unofficial election results from the Douglas County clerk’s office as of Tuesday afternoon.

Of Eudora’s voters who submitted a mail ballot, 54.45% — or 938 voters — voted against a plan to take out $4.71 million in bonds to pay for constructing a new downtown library. The election drew 1,811 of Eudora’s 4,855 registered voters, or 37.3%.

The cost of paying back that bond would have been subsidized by an increase to Eudora’s existing library tax, based on home value.

The library was also intended to function as something of a community center, including a multipurpose space for community meetings, events and performances; dedicated locations for the Feeding Eudora summer lunch program and the United Way of Douglas County’s community navigator program; and an outdoor activity and event area.

Don Grosdidier, co-chair of the campaign for the new library, told the Journal-World Tuesday evening that he and others who led the push for the project were disappointed in the outcome of the election. However, he said he’s also feeling gratitude toward the Eudora Community Library Board and others who worked on the campaign.

Grosdidier said he thinks there’s a good vision for what a new library could bring to the community, which deserves further exploration moving forward. In the meantime, he said it’s unclear what might happen next.

“I think it’s premature for me to comment on what the next step is at this point,” Grosdidier said. “There’s a lot of emotion involved and everything. …That’s really the decision of the library board, anyway.”