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Bee Cave outlines $19.98 million proposal for new library, asks voters to decide in November
Summary
City staff and Bee Cave Library leaders presented a plan for a single-story, 18,500-square-foot replacement library on the Staggs Tract with amenities, traffic analysis and a proposed $19,980,000 bond that could raise property taxes by up to 0.0148; the proposal requires voter approval on Nov. 4.
Assistant Library Director Gretchen Harden told a community meeting that Bee Cave’s library has outgrown its current facility and that city staff are asking voters to approve two ballot propositions in November to build a new, standalone library.
“With over 73,000 visitors last year, the answer is yes,” Harden said, summarizing the library’s recent demand for space and programs.
Harden and city staff said the proposed project would place a single-story, roughly 18,500-square-foot library on a portion of the Staggs Tract off Bee Cave Parkway. The plan, as presented, includes private reservable study rooms, a conference room, a dedicated multipurpose room, outdoor reading areas including a porch overlooking the hillside, increased collection space (about a 25–30% growth from the current collection) and a drive-up book return. The project cost shown to the public was $19,980,000.
Why it matters: library staff and the city said the current Galleria building constrains services and programming (including weekly story times) and that a new building would provide dedicated parking and a space not subject to competing uses such as elections. Harden said the current facility’s…
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