Politics & Government

Library's Construction Hits its One-Year Horizon

The 67,000-square-foot Gaithersburg Library is on course to finish construction in September 2013, with its grand opening to follow within two months.

If timetables hold true, construction of Gaithersburg Library is a year away from completion, and patrons will get to enjoy its cutting-edge amenities a few weeks later.

(Congrats to readers Katie Rapp and Bob Hydorn for correctly discerning the upper floor of the soon-to-be library in our on Monday.)

Gaithersburg-based Henley Construction Company—which built the original library in 1964—reached several construction milestones last month, according to the project’s online update, including work on the roof’s frame.

Find out what's happening in Montgomery Villagewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The new library will feature 60,000 square feet on the first floor, plus a 7,900-square-foot second floor that will hold meeting rooms, storage and a satellite office of the Gilchrist Center for Cultural Diversity in Wheaton, which offers language and vocational support geared towards the county’s growing immigrant population.

Prior to the opening of Germantown Library, the Gaithersburg Library was the county’s busiest. More than 70,000 residents are card-holders within the eight ZIP codes the branch serves. Yearly circulation topped 1 million items and more than 700,000 visits.

Find out what's happening in Montgomery Villagewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The 37,000-square-foot library shut down more two years ago and sat empty for more than a year as construction bogged down amid revamped environmental permitting requirements.

That set off from residents little satisfied by the makeshift interim branch that opened in Lakeforest mall.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Montgomery Village