FAYETTE — The Town of Fayette has reason to celebrate, and soon residents will have a new public place in which research their party plans.

The Department of Agriculture presented a $461,000 check to Jefferson County administrator Brenda Buck Thursday to help fund a new library in Fayette.

The funds were presented by USDA Rural Development state coordinator Trina George. A $261,000 loan funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 combined with a $200,000 grant is just the down payment the county needs to build the library.

“In my younger days, I probably would have done a break dance and spun around on my head,” Buck said.

The site for the projected $700,000 facility is county-owned property at Industrial Park Drive off Main Street next to the multi-purpose center.

“It is a vacant lot and there is nothing there,” Buck said. “We chose that area to offset our costs and to put more money into the library. We also have a new paved road that was done two weeks ago.”

“The ARRA funding was not only to create jobs, but to create sustainability in the community,” George said. “What better way to sustain a community than supporting a brand new library.”

Architects at Waycaster & Associates in Natchez completed preliminary designs for the 5,300-square foot single-floor building. The new library will replace the old library that is half the size.

“The library is dealing with a lack of space situation for computer usage,” Buck said. “A lot of our young people do not have access to DSL or the Internet. That’s why we want to expand existing services.”

The county has five years to complete the building or face the possibility of losing the funding.

“Everything will be up to how fast the county can move,” George said. “It’s a work in progress.”

Buck continues to seek funding for the balance.

“I feel very confident that we will acquire the remaining money in the next 12 months,” Buck said. “We are looking at private resources and state funding that is available. I wouldn’t want to start (construction) until we have the money.”