CROZET LIBRARY SCHEMATIC DESIGN UNDERWAY
Steering Committee Begins Meeting This Week to Guide Design Process
Schematic design for the new Crozet Library gets underway this week as the project consultant meets with county staff and the Board of Supervisors-appointed Library Steering Committee on Tuesday afternoon. The new 20,000 square foot facility is expected to open in 2011, providing space for state of the art library services for the western Albemarle County area as well as community space to support public needs in downtown Crozet. Construction of the library supports a host of infrastructure projects that have multiple benefits for the public including the sidewalk project, shared public parking for downtown, construction of Main Street, and the Crozet Avenue streetscape project.
The Crozet Master Plan adopted in December, 2004, established an expanded downtown library as a critical community priority because the current Crozet Library, which is 1,900 square feet in size, was determined to be inadequate for the community’s current and future library needs. The master plan envisioned a new downtown library that could provide improved library services and also could serve as an anchor for a revitalized downtown Crozet – a major public sector investment and visible presence that would help support critical infrastructure improvements like parking, sidewalks, and the new Main Street.
The new library will be constructed on two parcels of property owned by Albemarle County along Crozet Avenue next to B&B Cleaners. These properties together provide approximately two acres to house the new library facility and associated parking.
Last year the Board of Supervisors expressed unanimous support for pursuing LEED Certification for all newly-constructed County buildings including the Crozet Library— LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a nationally accepted rating system for designing and building green buildings. The new Crozet Library will be the County’s first planned LEED Certified building project.
In April, 2008, the Board of Supervisors approved the formation of the Crozet Library Steering Committee. The committee’s charge is to oversee the schematic design phase of the project. Formal design will take place from January through December 2009, and bidding for construction will be held December 2009/January 2010. Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2010, with completion scheduled for spring/summer of 2011.
Summary of Major Library Project Milestones to Date:
– Downtown library endorsed by adopted Crozet Master Plan – December, 2004
– Purchase of Harris property for establishment of new Main Street – March, 2006
– Selection of project architect – September, 2006
– Contingent contract on Amato property – September, 2006
– Consultant meetings with stakeholders on library site – September, 2006
– Public meeting on library site selection – October, 2006
– Board work session on library site selection – November, 2006
– Purchase of Amato property – December, 2006
– Topographic surveys/alignment studies for Crozet Avenue and Main Street – initiated January, 2007 – completed June, 2007
– Board of Supervisors establishes library building at 20,000 sq ft with approximately 15,000 sq ft dedicated initially for library programming– March, 2007
– Downtown Zoning project begins – May, 2007
– Consultant selected for Crozet Avenue/Main Street Streetscape project – May, 2007
– The streetscape project that will create New Main Street and access to the Crozet Library gets underway – August, 2007
– Structures on the Harris property are removed as part of site preparation for the library project – March, 2008
– The Board of Supervisors appoints a Steering Committee work with County staff and the project consultant during the library’s conceptual design phase – May, 2008
– The Board of Supervisors adopts the downtown zoning ordinance for Crozet that establishes the conditions necessary to design and construct the library as envisioned in the Master Plan – June, 2008
* republished in entirety from the County’s press release
