ROUND ROCK, Texas - Round Rock has a new state-of-the-art downtown public library.
The city held a ribbon-cutting ceremony with developer Hensel Phelps at the library at 200 East Liberty Avenue on Saturday Jan. 28 to celebrate the grand opening. The new library is just a block north of the old library site at East Main and Sheppard.
The city held a ribbon-cutting ceremony with developer Hensel Phelps at the library at 200 East Liberty Avenue on Saturday Jan. 28 to celebrate the grand opening. (Hensel Phelps)
The new three-story, 66,000-square-foot facility features a grand staircase, integrated movie screen, and public art, as well as a four-story, 289-space parking garage, an entry light fixture designed and installed by Nathan Warner, a world-renowned local lighting artist, an energy-efficient daylight harvesting system, and an outdoor children’s area with a turf lawn and labyrinth.
The library also has areas for quiet work on the third floor, classrooms on the first floor, outdoor spaces on each level, study rooms on the second and third floors, dedicated children’s story time rooms, early learning areas, and space for activities and crafts.
According to Hensel Phelps, the project broke ground in June 2021 and was substantially completed two months ahead of schedule in October 2022. The developer says the facility was constructed to "address community needs for all ages" through a collaborative approach with the city and PGAL.
The funding for the new library came from the voter-approved 2013 G.O. Bond election, which totaled $123.6 million for capital projects, with $23.2 million for library facilities.