New Central Library Project Update:
On June 20, 2008, twenty-two (22) Statements of Qualifications were received by the City of Austin from design teams interested in being considered for the New Central Library consultant contract. The consultant solicitation process for this project is effectively concluded at this point in time, and between now and the end of August, 2008, selected City staff will review and evaluate the Statements of Qualifications received. The New Central Library Project schedule calls for the three top-graded design teams to make presentations to Council in October, 2008, with Council award of the design team contract to follow shortly thereafter in December, 2008.

The twenty-two design teams submitting Statements of Qualifications for the New Central Library Project are:

• Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, Ltd.
• The Hillier Group Architecture, New Jersey, Inc.
• Moshe Safdie and Associates, Inc.
• Michael Graves & Associates
• BNIM Architects
• Robert A.M. Stern Architects, LLP
• Rex/Rhode
• Lake/Flato Architects
• HKS, Inc./LTL Architects - JV
• KGA Architecture
• Cooper, Robertson & Partners/CasaBella Architects - JV
• Mark Scogin Merrill Elam Architects
• The Lawrence Group Architects of Austin, Inc. /Will Bruder + Partners
• Oma & Amo Architecture PC
• Bercy Chen Studio L.P./Cunningham Architects
• Page Southerland Page/Patkua Architects
• Overland Partners/Miro Rivera Architects - JV
• Gwathmey Siegal & Associate Architects, LLC
• Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, Inc.
• Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Architects, Inc.
• Hammond Beeby Rupert Ainge, Inc.
• Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects

The new Central Library will be located on the site of the Seaholm Substation plot at 704 W. Cesar Chavez St.

Timeline
On Thursday, March 27, 2008 Austin City Council approved unanimously to begin the design team process for building a new Central Library for the city of Austin.

Below is an estimated timeline for the design team selection process:

• April 2008 ~ Design Consultant RFQ issued
• October 2008 ~ Presentations made to Council by 3 firms-Reception at City Hall co-sponsored by the Library Commission and the Library Foundation
• November 2008 ~ Council award of the Design contract
• March/April 2009 ~ Citizen/Stakeholder input meetings -Co-sponsored by Library Commission and Library Foundation
• May 2009 ~ Design phase begins
• Fall 2009 ~ Schematic Design completed
• Winter 2011 ~ Construction begins
• Fall 2013 ~ Construction complete
• Spring/Summer 2014-Grand Opening

For additional information about the new Central Library Design Team process view the presentation to the left hand side of the page.

Please call John Gillum, Facilities Planning Manager if you have additional questions (512) 974-7495 or email at john.gillum@ci.austin.tx.us

Let us know what you would like our new Central Library to look like and what you would like to see in the building. To fill out our suggestion form click here…

View what Austin Librarians think about a new Central Library…

Austin Voters Say Yes to a New Central Library
on November 7, 2006!

photo by: Seabrooktv.com left to right: Patricia Fraga-APL Marketing Manager, Brenda Branch-Director of Libraries, Al Simmons-Library Foundation Board Member, Amalia Rodriguez-Mendoza-Library Advisory Board Member