On Lakechime Drive, next to Lakewood Elementary, a one-story building now stands on the old Lakewood Pool site. It has more than 20,000 square feet and runs entirely on electricity. Inside are study rooms, separate areas for children and teens, and a room fitted with a laser cutter. On Saturday, October 31, the Lakewood Branch Library and Learning Center holds its grand opening from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The plan includes live music, a Maker Lab showcase, crafts and giveaways, plus a treat for anyone who comes in costume. Admission is free and there's no need to register.
Until now, according to San José Spotlight, Sunnyvale had a single public library. It sits at 665 W. Olive Ave. So it would be easy to treat Lakewood as a smaller copy of Olive Avenue that's closer to home. The building and its first month on the calendar suggest something else. Its equipment list, its weeknight hours and its November program schedule all lean toward making things more than borrowing them. North Sunnyvale is getting a neighborhood workshop with books in it.
A room full of machines most households don't own
Here is the equipment the City lists for the Lakewood Maker Lab:
- A 3D printer
- A laser cutter
- Sewing machines
- A large-format printer
- Vinyl cutters
- Jewelry-making supplies
- Arts-and-crafts materials
A laser cutter and a large-format printer are tools you usually pay a shop to use, a job at a time. Sunnyvale's library card page says both Full Access and Limited Access cardholders can book 3D printing appointments. The library hasn't yet published the regular booking and orientation process for the rest of the Lakewood lab. Saturday's showcase is the first public look at the equipment, and the staff running it are the people to ask how access will work.
The City describes the building as a main resource for literacy, learning and wellness activities in north Sunnyvale. The Silicon Valley Voice reports that the learning center will run literacy and wellness activities.
The November calendar is mostly sewing
The first month of programs shows the same lean toward making. Sewing Lab is the only recurring program at Lakewood in November. It meets at 10 a.m. on eight mornings, most of them Mondays and Fridays. Each of the other branch programs is scheduled once.
| Date | Program | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Mon., Nov. 2 | Sewing Lab, 10 a.m. | Adults 18+ |
| Thu., Nov. 5 | Insect Discovery Lab, 3–4 p.m. | Ages 6–11 |
| Fri., Nov. 6 | Sewing Lab, 10 a.m. | Adults 18+ |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Bilingual Spanish-English Storytime, 10:30–11:30 a.m. | Children of all ages and caregivers |
| Nov. 9, 13, 16, 23, 30 | Sewing Lab, 10 a.m. | Adults 18+ |
| Fri., Nov. 20 | Sewing Lab, 10 a.m.; Traveling Reptile Show, 1–2 p.m. | Adults 18+; children of all ages and caregivers |
None of these programs require registration. Space is limited for storytime and the reptile show, and the doors close once the room is full. The Sewing Lab works differently. Equipment is first come, first served, and you bring your own fabric and project. The library supplies the machines, thread and other materials. That makes it a good fit for hemming a Halloween costume after the party, or for the quilt that has been waiting in a closet since spring.
Hours that favor weeknights
After the opening, Lakewood will be open Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Sundays. The day after the grand opening, Sunday, November 1, is a Sunday, so the building will be dark. The first regular day is Monday, November 2, and the Sewing Lab starts at 10 a.m. that morning.
The 7 p.m. closings on three weeknights give an after-work or after-school window that a 5 p.m. building wouldn't. A study room on a Tuesday evening, or half an hour at the vinyl cutter on the way home, fits that schedule.
Fourteen years, from a joint meeting to a costume party
The building's timing matters because the timeline was long. According to the Silicon Valley Voice, the Sunnyvale City Council first raised the idea of a new library in July 2012, at a joint meeting with the board of library trustees. Those early discussions found Lakewood to be the one neighborhood where residents traveled as far as four miles to reach a public library. From there, the City's project page traces this sequence:
- 2013: The site is selected.
- Early 2017: The Council authorizes talks about a partnership with the school districts.
- January 2020: The City, Sunnyvale School District and Fremont Union High School District approve a joint agreement.
- May 2024: The construction contract is put out to bid and awarded.
- September 5, 2024: The public groundbreaking takes place.
- October 31, 2026: The doors open.
The partnership explains where the building sits. When the agreement was approved in 2020, the Silicon Valley Voice reported that the City would lease the Sunnyvale School District site for $1 over a 50-year term, with a 25-year option. Each district committed $3 million toward construction. Together the two districts cover about a quarter of the library's annual operating costs. That's why a library designed for every age sits on school property, with programs for the school partners built into the floor plan.
Anderson Brulé Architects designed the building. In May 2024, the City Council's staff report recommended Bobo Construction for a $23,178,824.25 contract, which included five optional add-ons. The same report put the full project budget at $29,274,437 and listed a $481,000 decarbonization grant from Silicon Valley Clean Energy. That grant ties directly to the all-electric design.
Why it's opening on Halloween
The opening date moved more than once. In 2024, the projection was late 2025. The City later set the grand opening for August 29, 2026. Its August 21 City Manager's Update then said the final construction stages were taking longer than expected. According to the Silicon Valley Voice, the delay came from window installation and exterior stucco work. The new date happened to land on a Saturday that's also Halloween, which is why the event page asks families to come in costume. Because the date has already moved once, check the City's event page before heading over.
Next door, Lakewood Park is still under construction
The library is the finished part of a larger block that is still being rebuilt. Lakewood Park, just up the street at 834 Lakechime Drive, is in the middle of a renovation the City expects to finish around mid-2027. The new all-inclusive playground and tot lot are already open. During construction, the John W. Christian Greenbelt pathway, the basketball, tennis and handball courts, and the playground stay open while the rest of the park is closed.
The renovation plan adds a new concession and restroom building, separate large and small dog parks, a water play area, a mini skate park, natural grass, and lighting along the greenbelt path. Until that work is done, Saturday's best loop is the library and then the new playground, both on the same stretch of Lakechime.
If you want to fill the rest of the holiday weekend, the Sunnyvale Autumn Food Festival runs at Cityline Sunnyvale on Saturday, October 31, and Sunday, November 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It promises food and craft vendors, live performances and a pet costume contest. With the library closed Sunday, the festival is the obvious second-day stop.
At Dustin Owen and The Campi Group, we keep track of openings like this one on Lakechime Drive. If you'd like to talk through how places like the Lakewood branch figure into life in north Sunnyvale, whether you're settling in or thinking about your next move, we would be glad to help. Work With Us.
