Vienna Town Council To Get Patrick Henry Library Renovation Project Update

VIENNA, VA — As the Patrick Henry Library renovation gets closer, Vienna Town Council will receive an update on the project this coming Monday.

Initial design plans for the library renovation were revealed to the community in July during a Liberty Amendments Month event that also discussed library desegregation. Town Council will now receive the updated design, which incorporates feedback from Town Council and the Board of Architectural Review.

Fairfax County is planning to replace Vienna's 13,000-square-foot library at 101 Maple Avenue East with an expanded and renovated nearly 20,000-square-foot facility and a parking garage. Patrick Henry Library dates back to 1971 and was expanded in 1995. Now, the county says the building has outdated systems and an insufficient layout, as well as limited parking.

The county and Town of Vienna are jointly funding the parking garage, as it will include public parking spaces for the town in addition to library parking spaces. At Monday's meeting, Town Council is expected to vote on reaffirming its financial participation in the project to provide public parking spaces.

The town received a grant from the Northern Virginia Transportation for about 50 percent of parking garage construction funding. The grant terms say the town's public parking space must be reserved for commuter parking for part of weekdays and available for public parking at other times.

The design phase is wrapping up, although Vienna approvals are ongoing, including a site permit in review. Construction is expected to begin in fall 2024 with completion in fall 2026. A temporary library will be used during the construction, but the location has not yet been announced.