Design of new Bee Cave library nearly finished, but its cost grows to $25 million

The design of the new Bee Cave Public Library is being finalized, according to a report heard on Tuesday by the City Council, meaning construction of the much-needed expansion could start as soon as next year — but at a cost that is $10 million over what the city authorized three years ago.

Brian Jorgensen of construction strategy company Turner & Townsend Heery said that while an estimate in 2021 put the cost of the library’s construction at $15 million, an updated budget now projects it at $25 million.

Bee Cave Communications Director Jenny Hoff said raised interest rates and construction costs exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic caused the price increase. However, she said rates have stabilized and are accounted for in the new budget, making the new projection accurate.

City Manager Julie Oakley said the extra funds needed for the project could potentially come from a general obligations bond on the November ballot, which financial advisor Kris Lane said would not cause the city to raise property taxes.

“This has been the furthest we've ever come with planning for a new library building,” Hoff said. “We've needed this since 2013. It was acknowledged by the City Council at the time that the library had far outgrown its space, and so it's only gotten (worse).”

The city in 2021 approved a Capital Improvement Projects plan, which included the estimated $15 million library expansion, to target public infrastructure needs. It identified a new library as a priority. The city brought in Turner & Townsend Heery in 2022 to assist with execution of the building and park portions of the projects.

Council Member Jon Cobb on Tuesday expressed concerns over the library’s new price tag, which he said could grow as additional funds are requested, and its potential impact on funding other plans in the Capital Improvement Projects. He said projects like those focusing on road improvements and traffic should be more of a priority for the city.

“What good does it do if we build a library and can’t get to it?” Cobb said during the meeting. “We need to look at the capital improvement as a whole, and then we need to take that to voters.”

The bond would set $25 million as an absolute maximum for the city to spend on the library, Hoff said, and will not impact Bee Cave's ability to fund other improvement projects. The city is also planning to reexamine all improvement projects in July to identify priorities and eliminate plans that no longer need to be pursued, she said, but the library’s expansion should not be affected by the July reevaluation.

“In my relatively short time of working with the city of Bee Cave, I’ve been truly amazed by the wonder that the library creates with so little,” Chelsea Maldonado, project manager Turner & Townsend Heery, said during the meeting. “They do an incredible job of never showing their modest size and continue to be a community draw for Bee Cave and surrounding communities.”

When the current library opened in 2007, the 4,200-square-foot property served the city’s population, said Director Barbara Hathaway. However, with the area’s growing population, she said the city quickly outgrew the library. While the library attempted solutions, such as raising the height of bookshelves and using community rooms, a design company announced in 2019 there was no more space available.

About 25% of the Bee Cave population is under the age of 18, with the library seeing 70,000 visitors in 2023, according to the most recent annual library report, which Hathaway said proves the need for the expansion.

The same design company completed a space analysis study in 2023 and determined the current facility is less than half the size needed to serve the population. At the current location, shelf space is depleted and shared rooms with the Magnolia Musical Theater during the summer and early voting in the fall cause serious space constraints, said Assistant Director Gretchen Hardin.

Tenna Florian of Lake Flato Architects, which the city approved as the leading designing team in January 2023, said the team initially started the design process by completing tours at 10 public libraries in North and Central Texas. From those tours, and from community feedback, it learned that children-oriented and outdoor programs and spaces, meeting rooms and individual study areas are a community priority, Florian said.

The new 24,000-square-foot library will be on Texas 71 at the old "Revival" site near Central Park. Maldonado said construction could start as early as 2025 and end around 15 months later, meaning the branch could open in mid-2026.

Sophia Razzaque and Tenna Florian said with the city being the “gateway to the Hill Country,” the company incorporated honeycomb patterns, a pollinator garden and natural lighting using natural limestone and wood. Officials said outdoor seating and play areas will connect to the park.

Resident Joan Mims, who has volunteered at the library since 2005, before the current location opened in 2007, said she appreciated the council’s action in creating a larger library as limited access to literature affects children’s educational opportunities.

“Building this new library is not a luxury, it’s a necessity in a thriving community,” Mims said during the meeting.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Cost of new Bee Cave Public Library grows to $25 million