We want to do this thing right—so we’re going to do it right.”

Mike Tomsyck

Stanley City Hall
353 South Broadway St.
Stanley, WI 54768
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A major gift from Mike Tomsyck, Vice President of Transportation and Risk Management for Kolbe Windows and Doors, and his wife Julie will help shape the future of the D.R. Moon Memorial Library renovation. Speaking at the June 16th Stanley City Council meeting, Tomsyck announced the couple’s plan to donate all the windows for the library project with a personal pledge of $175,000 to cover any potential change orders.
Tomsyck, who has worked at Kolbe Windows & Doors for over 30 years, expressed his and his wife’s deep commitment to the success and integrity of the project.
“We want to do this thing right—so we’re going to do it right,” Tomsyck said.
He shared plans to replace all the windows in the building, including those in the original historic section—even interior-facing ones—emphasizing a dedication to architectural quality and preservation.
“Those will all be wood, so everything will kind of match,” he explained. “It’s important for our company and the architectural correctness that we strive for.”
Tomsyck also noted that Kolbe Windows and Doors had “heavily discounted” the materials from the start, saying, “No builder would be able to find them at the price that we’re offering.”
The Stanley Council responded with a round of applause following the announcement and Council acceptance of the donation. Mayor Mike Henke, visibly moved, stood to shake Tomsyck’s hand.
“On behalf of the City, we greatly appreciate it,” Henke said with emotion.
“It’s a great project,” Tomsyck replied.
Members of the D.R. Moon Memorial Library Board and Library Director were in attendance at the meeting, showing their gratitude for the generous contribution. The donation marks a significant milestone in the library’s renovation effort, bringing it one step closer to completion with both financial and community support.
Also at the Monday evening meeting, Matt Bryan of River Architects presented updated building plans and renderings for the D.R. Moon Memorial Library Building Project, highlighting key features of the design and emphasizing the balance between modern function and historic preservation.
“A lot of history, a lot of stories, a lot of meaning for the community,” Bryan said of the original library structure, which dates back to before 1900. “That being said, it’s a very important building — but also limited in size for the needs of the library.”
The current library building is approximately 3,700 square feet. The new addition, roughly double in size, will bring the total square footage to nearly triple that of the existing facility.
“In total the Library is basically tripling in size,” stated Bryan.
He described the design as a “significant expansion” that still remains “sensitive to the historic structure and appropriate and distinct.”
A major goal of the expansion is to make the building fully accessible to all users. An interior ramp will provide a unified, barrier-free path in and out of the building. “It enables us to make one accessible path in and out of the library for everyone to share.”
Other features include acoustic panels and accessible, generously sized restrooms — including one with a full adult-sized changing table on the lower level.
The addition will also house a community room with seating for up to 100 people. Designed with a separate entrance, the space can be used independently of library hours for public events, makerspace activities, lectures, and more. Other interior spaces will include designated areas for children and teens, technology and reading rooms, and flexible collections space.
Bryan noted that materials used in the addition reflect both continuity and progress.
“There are some things that are continuities between the two (buildings). One of them is an interest in lumber — in wood and construction,” he said, referencing local history. “The original building uses wood in a very particular way that is consistent with its time period and we’re using wood structurally as a roof in a way that we consider consistent with that kind of contemporary construction practices.”
He added that D.R. Moon, for whom the library is named, was a lumber baron, and the team hopes to carry forward that legacy in the new construction.
Alderperson Laurie Foster commented that the plans have “changed a lot” since the previous plans. “It’s totally different.”
Library Director Elizabeth Miniatt acknowledged the changes and explained they were made out of necessity. “It has all the same programming spaces. We did have to shrink our footprint for a variety of reasons — cost being a major one — so it is a little bit smaller than what was originally planned,” she said. “Honestly the changes that we’ve done have been for the better in my opinion.”
The council voted to approve a construction bid from Hoeft, the lowest bidder, in the amount of $3,994,893. The approved construction bid from Hoeft marks a major milestone in the long-awaited library renovation, setting the stage for work to begin on transforming the historic library into a modern community hub — one that honors its past while preparing for the future.