Officials Break Ground at New Library Site

An excited group of Montgomery County officials struck the ground with shovels at the site for the new Silver Spring Library Monday morning in the official groundbreaking for the project.

"We are in the process of completing what we started many years ago in terms of the development of Silver Spring overall," said County Executive Isiah "Ike" Leggett (D).

The new library, at Wayne Avenue and Fenton Street, will replace the older one at 8901 Colesville Road. The site preparation for the new multi-story building will take approximately 10 months. The new building is expected to open to the public in 2014.

The project cost is $64 million. Of the total, $32 million is expected to be spent on the construction of the site, including acquisition and preparation of the site, utility work by Pepco and the design and construction of the energy efficient building.

The rest of the budget is allocated to providing the library with computers, collection of books, furniture, disability services and adult, children and teen materials, among other services.

In talking about the library, Leggett paid special tribute to former Councilman Blair Ewing, who was a strong proponent of the new library. Ewing passed away in June 2009.

Leggett and other speakers including Councilwoman Valerie Ervin (D-District 5) stressed that they would like to make sure that the new library complex, which is also slated to house county offices, an arts center and a coffee house, would include a bridge connecting the new facility with the Wayne Avenue parking garage.

"The library is not complete unless it can do all things for the local businesses and the disabled community," Leggett said.

About 50 residents and others interested in the project came to witness the groundbreaking.

Longtime Silver Spring resident Shannon Parkin said she has seen firsthand the need for more spaces and services for children as the community has grown and resources have been strapped.

"The presence of more tutoring rooms is a great asset because it will give more space to educate," Shannon Parkin said.

To help fill the gap of the services that have been cut for children, Parkin started a reading circle for elementary students in the area this summer.

Rayness Mayne attends the First Baptist Church of Silver Spring across the street from the site, and she said she has been watching the developments over time.

"I'm anxiously awaiting the new building," she said.