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The budget that dropped on Friday contains lots of near-term unpleasantness in the form of tax hikes and cuts to social services. But it also offers some insight into long-range planning for the District’s capital priorities—there’s tens of millions of dollars budgeted over the next six years for infrastructure work at McMillan, St. Elizabeth’s East, and Skyland (details here). One of those priorities is continuing to replace or substantially renovate libraries, and though there’s no money budgeted this year for projects that aren’t already underway (other than interior renovation of the Northeast Library), the funding request is effectively a to-do list:
- The Capitol View library in Ward 7 is slated for renovation in 2016 to LEED Silver standards.
- Ditto the Southwest Library.
- The Cleveland Park library is also up for green renovation in 2016, and may be eligible for mixed-use development or co-location with other uses.
- The Palisades library at 49th and V Street NW will be demolished and rebuilt entirely. The whole project is projected to cost more than $16 million, of which $2.965 million is requested in FY 2017.
- The Woodridge library is on a faster track for replacement, with $16.5 million requested over the next four years to construct a building that will “have an iconic architectural presence befitting its location in the community.” One of only two libraries in Ward 5, Woodridge is 51 years old and more antiquated than most.
Of course, not all libraries made the list: Shepherd Park, Chevy Chase, and Lamond-Riggs are the last ones with no significant renovations either recently completed or on the horizon.