Final cost of downtown library TBD as City reviews site plans
Parking, access, landscaping, utilities and environmental impact mitigation all addressed
The City of Williamsburg is reviewing site plans for its new downtown library situated on the site of the former police station and current library parking lot along Lafayette Street. The posted documents indicate that the first planned phase of the project is demolishing the former police station to make room for the new library. Once the new library is built, the old structure from 1974 will be demolished.
The city has not yet determined the final cost of the new library, according to an email reply by a city spokesperson. The price of the project has varied over time, with estimates ranging ranging between $20 and $30 million.
The regional library system is a collaboration between James City County, Williamsburg and York County. Both Williamsburg and James City are building new libraries several miles from each other, and York is also considering a new library in the northern end of the county. The new library in James City County will be part of their new consolidated government center. Although those projects are moving forward, a new library operating agreement still needs to be negotiated before the current one expires at the end of Fiscal Year 2027.
Download the site plan file or view on the city’s website here.
The proposed site plan for the new Williamsburg library includes significant changes to the surrounding streetscape, landscaping and parking. For example, available parking would expand from 96 to 145 standard spaces and from 5 to 6 accessible spaces. New curb cuts, driveways, stop signs would be added at access points along bordering streets, and existing crosswalks would be realigned to meet ADA accessibility standards. Concrete ramps with stainless steel handrails are also included in the plans.
The landscaping plan calls for tree canopy and continuous hedges along the parking lots and street frontages, though does not specify particular species. The base plan includes 30 shade trees, 22 ornamental trees, and 212 shrubs, with four existing trees preserved on site. Hedge rows would run along all four street frontages, set within 15-foot landscape buffers separating the parking areas from the public right-of-way. At full maturity, tree canopy is projected to cover roughly 15% of the site. An optional upgrade package would add more trees, shrubs, and ornamental grasses beyond the base plan.
The site will also include bike racks in dark bronze, decorative steel security bollards, a seven-foot double swing gate with aluminum panels and a rebuilt brick seat wall. According to documents provided on the city’s website, the site plan remains under review and no formal construction timeline has been announced.
Previous reporting on Williamsburg’s new library:
