NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Plans for a new multi-million dollar library are moving forward in Newport News.
City Council approved $33 million to build a new, 'Virgil I. Grissom Library,' on Warwick Boulevard after decades of use. The current Grissom Library has stood for nearly 50 years, has never undergone any major renovations, and currently serves the city's Northside population.
"I truly believe that this is going to be a catalyst for investment uptown," said Curtis Bethany, Vice Mayor for Newport News. "I'm looking forward to this coming to fruition."
The plan is to build the library as part of the "Sherwood Shopping Center." The library will serve as a center point of the area as green spaces, restaurants and even a police station which will all be in the nearby vicinity.
It's a plan city leaders have worked on for several years, but is now just getting off the ground. City leaders said the library has long outgrown the building it is in.
"The proposed state-of-the-art, two-story library spans 51,450 square feet and it will offer meeting spaces, accommodations and scalable technology," said Alan Archer, City Manager of Newport News.
The current Grissom library has been in use for the past 48 years and has the city's largest serving area compared to any of the other Newport News libraries.
City leaders said the new library will boast state-of-the-art facilities like an extended children's area, an auditorium and a drive-through for people to pick up and drop off books.
Construction is expected to start later this spring or summer and could last for more than a year.
It's unclear what will happen to the property that houses the current Grissom library, but it is still considered city-owned.