Richardson officials announced plans to renovate the Richardson Public Library and create a temporary City Hall/library location during a Jan. 23 City Council meeting.
The $58.5 million library and City Hall renovation project was approved by voters in a 2021 bond election. The bond project included temporary renovation for the library, which would have taken place over the course of a year. It also included the renovation of City Hall but not its relocation. Renovations scheduled at the library include increasing floor space, providing more accessible community areas and repairing exterior structural deficiencies.
However, a fire at City Hall on Aug. 22 led to delays on the library renovations, in turn causing construction costs for the project to increase, in addition to requiring the city to take out a 42-month lease to temporarily relocate the library during work.
According to city officials, the estimated renovation costs increased by $12 million to $48.1 million, including $4.2 million in relocation expenses and nearly $3 million in scope/site enhancements to the current library site. In order to offset the increased cost, city officials plan to issue $9 million in supplemental Certificates of Obligation bonds in 2023. If a new City Hall is approved by voters and if needed, the city will issue an additional $3 million in CO bonds in 2024.
