BATON ROUGE - Just days before the expected completion of the River Center Branch Library, officials announced new delays. 

In September, the mayor's office said substantial completion of the building would be Monday, Oct. 28. The city now says the substantial completion won’t be done until late December.

"It looks like it is going to be a few more weeks until we reach that magical period," said Mary Stein, the assistant director for East Baton Rouge Parish Library.

This round of delays is due to the late delivery of certain supplies.

"One little delay in a material being delivered on a truck causes a whole cascade of delays," Stein said.

Once the building is completed, there is still more work to be done before the doors can open.

"From that point on, you still don't get the keys and move right in," Stein said. "We have what's called a punch list. That gives you the last chance to get the contractor to go around."

After the punch list is completed, permits will have to be issued and a final inspection will take place before the move-in process can begin.

Councilwoman Tara Wicker who oversees the downtown area admits she is frustrated with another round of delays.

"It looks like it is going to be a little bit longer. That's a little disheartening, because we definitely are ready to use this facility and have it open," Wicker said.

However, she says the project must be finished correctly.

"Especially with everything that has happened with this library, all the delays, the issues with construction, we want it to be well and we want it to be right," Wicker said.

Stein says, as of now, she expects the River Center Branch Library to be open and operational in early spring 2020.