Fitchburg library receives anonymous $1 million matching donation

Link to February 2 Wisconsin State Journal report.

Excerpt: Fitchburg could be halfway towards its goal of raising $4 million for the city's first library after an anonymous donor gave a $1 million matching gift for the public portion of the Fitchburg library capital campaign, the city announced Tuesday.

The new donation follows an initial pledge of $1 million by Bill Linton, founder of Fitchburg-based Promega Corp., and his wife, Mary.

"For a city this size to be able to accept two gifts of $1 million apiece for a library, I think is quite extraordinary," said Phil Sveum, co-chairman of the campaign committee.

[snip]

The bulk of the money, $10 million, for the $14 million library is being funded by the city of Fitchburg.

The 38,000-square-foot library, which will be next to City Hall, 5520 Lacy Road, will be constructed using green building practices and will have geothermal heating and underground parking. A groundbreaking event is scheduled for April 12. The library is projected to open in July 2011.