WILLIAMSBURG – The Williamsburg City Council voted unanimously Thursday to approve a $32.3 million contract to construct a new 50,000-square-foot library on the site of the current downtown Scotland Street library.
Discussions of a new library date back to 2007, when the Williamsburg Regional Library first commissioned a space needs study, though the effort stalled amid an economic recession. WRL revisited the idea in 2018, commissioning a building study and gathering public input through online surveys and focus groups.
Discussions resumed after the pandemic in 2022 and continued until May 2024, when the city issued a request for proposals to construct the new downtown library. In December, the council voted to proceed with an interim design agreement with Hourigan Construction Corp. In August, the team presented preliminary plans along with the construction cost estimate.
The construction cost is $31,224,414. With the interim costs previously paid for design, the total contract amount is $32,347,826. Architectural firm Tymoff + Moss is part of the Hourigan design-build team.
During an August work session, the city’s financial adviser, Davenport & Company, offered a variety of funding options, including using $5 million previously allocated for a live performance venue as an upfront cash payment toward the construction costs.
The remaining cost would be borrowed in two installments: $15 million this fall, followed by an estimated $17.2 million in fall 2027 to cover remaining construction, FF&E, technology, utility and commissioning costs.
“I think we’ve reached the point where we need to move forward; we’ve heard from the community that they want this,” said Vice Mayor Pat Dent. “I want this as an investment in the future of Williamsburg for our children and grandchildren.”
A vote on a bond resolution for the first installment of $15 million and the $5 million transfer is slated for the City Council meeting on Oct. 8; a bond resolution vote for the second installment is planned for the fall of 2027.
Davenport told council the additional debt stays within the city’s financial guidelines.
A city release says additional costs — including furniture, technology and contingency funds — are estimated at $4,852,174. The Friends of the Williamsburg Regional Library are launching a fundraising campaign to help offset those expenses.
The new library is expected to be complete by summer 2028. Sandy Towers, director of the Williamsburg Regional Library, said there will be a six-month gap between the demolition of the old building and the opening of the new one. She’s confident that the library will still find a way to keep providing services during that time.
“[The community support] is huge. I appreciate how large this project is for a city the size of Williamsburg; it is a huge undertaking for them to assume this kind of debt,” she said. “I appreciate the council members who have really endeavored to understand the need for a new library … I appreciate that they were willing to listen and hear.”
