Planned size of new Cedar Park Public Library increases

Cedar Park’s new planned library will total 47,000 square feet, an increase from an original 40,000-square-foot plan.

Cedar Park City Council approved a $506,500 amendment Aug. 12 to add the extra square footage to the architectural services contract. Council approved contract negotiations last November. The $3.11 million contract with Lake|Flato Architects Inc. was executed in December. The amendment will also be with Lake|Flato Architects Inc.

City Council approved the amendment not to exceed $506,500 in a unanimous vote and includes two parts: the increased design size and costs for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification.

Public engagement and a space programming exercise showed a need for additional space in the library, said Randall Lueders, a city senior project manager. The increase will cost $358,500 in additional services.

The city will also seek services for a LEED certification, which “provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings,” according to the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED services account for $148,000 of the $506,500 amendment.

The new multistory library will be located in the planned Bell District, a public-private redevelopment project on Bell Boulevard in Cedar Park. The $350 million project will transform a section of southern Bell Boulevard into a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. The mixed-use district will include residential, commercial and civic areas within 50 acres of city-owned land.