By Tim SchmidtRecord Managing EditorScenic Regional Library plans to purchase a small parcel of land on Wildcat Drive to house a new branch in Wright City.The library district expects to close on the 1.18-acre property, located south of Wright City West Elementary, by the end of this month, according to Scenic Regional Library Director Steve Campbell.The land is being purchased from the Wright City R-II School District. The purchase price was not disclosed.“We can’t wait to get started,” Campbell said. “I am excited to have a new branch open up there.”Wright City aldermen recently approved a resubdivision plat for the property, located across from Browning Drive.Scenic Regional operates seven branches in Warren, Franklin and Gasconade counties. The lone branch in Warren County is located on South Highway 47 in Warrenton.In April 2014, voters from all three counties passed a 10-cent tax levy increase to provide additional revenue for the library district. Library officials said if the ballot measure passed that a second branch would open in the county.Earlier this year, Campbell met with community leaders representing the city, school district and chamber of commerce to discuss possible sites. Attendees overwhelmingly preferred the library be near the schools and where more residential growth is expected to occur in the city.Campbell said the library officials were considering an existing building, but most of the options centered on the downtown area.“Everyone pointed to the northwest quadrant of the city,” he said. “Shortly after that, we were approached by the school district. It’s nice because it’s near the schools and near the area where people said this is where the library needs to be. We didn’t have to search very hard.“Hopefully what we see is parents drop their kids off and go the library themselves, or pick kids up after school and stop by. That is what we’re hoping.”No time frame has been established to begin construction on the Wright City branch, but Campbell said ground likely would not be broken until spring of 2017. The library district first must seek a request for qualifications from architects. Once a firm is selected, Campbell said the process to design the new construction at multiple locations and renovations to multiple branches could take six to 10 months to complete. New branches are also being built in New Haven, Pacific and Owensville.The Warrenton branch is one that will undergo future renovations and be expanded. The library district has purchased additional property for that work, Campbell noted.Scenic Regional Library