County of Pittsylvania issued the following announcement on Feb. 23
After action by the Board of Supervisors on February 15, the long-planned renovation of the Gretna branch of the Pittsylvania County Public Library is set to begin. The Board approved the expenditure of almost $90,000 on the first of six planned construction phases.
The renovation of the library has been in the works since 2019 but was delayed by the pandemic. Sharp increases in construction and material costs due to supply chain shortages have increased cost estimates. The Board of Supervisors also approved an additional $300,000 for the renovation, bringing the total County contribution for the building renovation to $500,000. The Library’s foundation has raised $453,000 to provide new furnishings and fixtures for the building.
“This library will be a great asset for the Gretna community and for all county residents,” said Pittsylvania County Public Library Director Lisa Tuite. “We could not do it without the leadership of the Board of Supervisors, the hard work of the Library Board and Foundation, and the generous support of local foundations, businesses, and citizens.”
The bid for Phase 1 construction was awarded to Daniels Construction in January. Phase 1 will affect the front doors and bathrooms, setting the stage for the expansion of the library throughout the 6,375 square foot building. Subsequent phases will remove walls and classroom fixtures on the east side of the building that had been occupied by Danville Community College since the building’s construction in 1999 until late 2015.
“By conducting the renovation in six phases, we hope to minimize the length of time that the library will have to close for construction,” said Tuite. “Some closures will be unavoidable, but we are trying to provide services throughout the process.”
The former DCC space will ultimately be transformed into a community meeting room, public computer space, and expanded reading and video selections for adult fiction, nonfiction, large print, audiobooks, videos, and newspapers and magazines.
The existing library space on the west side of the building will be renovated to house a new teen reading and study space and a much larger children’s and juvenile reading area, including computers for children to work at. The current meeting room will become a children’s programming and craft room.
“The Board of Supervisors is happy to support this important community project, especially considering the impressive fundraising efforts that are making this happen,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Vic Ingram. “We are confident that these renovations will improve the experience of everyone who visits the Gretna Library for years to come. I want to commend Director Lisa Tuite for her tremendous fundraising efforts.”
The renovation will also create a new doorway on the west side of the building leading from the children’s reading area into an enclosed reading garden and patio space for patrons to work and read outdoors. The library has plans for additional outdoor facilities in the works, thanks to a grant for landscape design provided by the Danville Regional Foundation and the J.T.-Minnie Maude Charitable Trust. The landscape design was completed by Beechgrove Design of Lynchburg and presented on February 14.
“The exterior design is vibrant, exciting, and will really bring all the fun of the library and its new interior outside for the community to enjoy,” said Tuite.
Original source can be found here.
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