WILLIAMSBURG— The City Council voted unanimously on April 10 to authorize the city manager to enter into an interim agreement with Hourigan Construction to design and construct a new downtown Williamsburg Library on the same block as the current one.
The city said the agreement enables Hourigan to work with City and Williamsburg Regional Library staff, the Williamsburg Regional Library Board of Trustees, and the public to develop a final design for the project. The interim agreement is divided into two phases: public input and design
Phase 1: Public Input
Cost: $26,755
Hourigan will lead several stakeholder and community meetings on the library building’s
design. After consulting with City staff and the library building evaluation committee, Hourigan will incorporate any necessary adjustments into its preliminary design and cost estimates. The project would advance to Phase 2 only after the City approves the adjustments.
Phase 2: Design
Cost: $1,096,657
If the project moves into Phase 2, Hourigan will commence the standard design work to
develop 35% complete construction drawings. Then, a comprehensive agreement would be
presented to City Council in early 2026. The design work completed under the interim
agreement will result in a final price for construction for further consideration by the City
Council.
The City began soliciting proposals for the library project last month and received three
competitive bids through the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act. The
PPEA Process allowed the City Council to choose its preferred design-and-build proposal.
At the request of City Council, an evaluation committee was formed to review the bids. This
committee comprises stakeholders from the Williamsburg Regional Library staff, Williamsburg Regional Library Board of Trustees, Friends of the Williamsburg Regional Library Foundation Board, City of Williamsburg staff, and City Council.
The city said that the committee held four meetings and unanimously agreed to recommend proceeding with Hourigan Construction after considering parking, exterior design, interior design, orientation, impact to library operations during construction, and price before making a recommendation.
The city disclaimed that the Hourigan estimate totals $26.1 million, which exceeds the City’s planned expense but was significantly lower than the other submitted bids while still satisfying the committee’s other review elements.
