It’s been part of the Downtown Arlington landscape for more than 40 years, but on Tuesday the story of the George W. Hawkes Central Library came to an end.
It was an emotional day for Library Director Cary Siegfried, who began her career there more than two decades ago.
“If people weren’t sad about this building, then obviously, we weren’t doing a good job,” said Siegfried.
But that sadness was met with excitement, as she and her staff looked ahead to what’s coming.
“It’s also a really great opportunity for us to open the doors to something new,” said Norma Zuniga, an administrator at the Central Library. “And hopefully something better.”
The building will be demolished in 2015 to make way for a multi-million dollar development with new apartments, parking and retail space. The city will then build a new $25 million library across the street behind City Hall. That project is currently in the design phase, and Siegfried said they hope to have designs to show the public by the end of January.
Highlights of the new library include a larger children’s section and lots of new technology.
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“There will be great things for children as well as great things for adults,” said Siegfried.
In the meantime, library staff is focused on moving everything out of the current building and into a temporary location near the intersection of North Cooper and Division streets.
“That’s the brunt of the work right now,” said Zuniga. “But it has to be done, so we’re ready.”
The temporary location will open on Jan. 13. All other branches of the Arlington Public Library system remain open as well.
The new library is expected to open in 2017.
