Charles City supervisors designate funds to kick off library construction

Charles City supervisors approved funds to initiate the engineering and design process for a proposed library during their Mar. 8 work session.

County leaders voted unanimously to designate $205,350 to kick off the project. Those funds are part of $2.5 million expected to be borrowed as part of a referendum that was approved by county citizens in the 2015 November election.

Chairman and District 2 representative Bill Coada said that funding for the 7,500-square foot building comes after much discussion with the library campaign committee. He also commented that the process is also behind schedule. During the board’s regular meeting in March 2016, it was scheduled for architectural submittals of the library to be received during the first quarter of 2017, with groundbreaking slated for summer of 2017. That process has been delayed due to a revamp of the library’s specs.

Originally, the library campaign committee and board of supervisors reached a mutual agreement where each party would contribute $2.5 million to the construction of a 16,000-square foot facility. However, that funding did not come to fruition and the size of the building will peg out at 7,500-square feet, with 200 feet designated for the Richard M. Bowman History Center.

An updated timetable for completion of the project is currently unavailable.