The Houston Public Library (HPL), along with our partners, the Houston Public Library Foundation and Downtown Redevelopment Authority, is breaking ground to mark the beginning of a major public space upgrade for the City of Houston! A groundbreaking celebration will be held on Tuesday, September 6, 2016 at 10:30 AM in the Plaza area (or in the Central Library’s 1st Floor Gallery area in case of inclement weather). The Plaza’s renovation is designed to create a family friendly atmosphere for the Houston community to gather for leisure, lite dining, library and city activities and programs.
The community is invited to attend and learn more about the Plaza renovations from Dr. Rhea Brown Lawson, Director, Houston Public Library; Robert Gallegos, City Council Member, District I; Bob Eury, President, Downtown Redevelopment Authority; and Licia Ellis-Green, Chair, Houston Public Library Foundation Board (HPLF).
This event is free and open to the public. The Central Library Plaza is located at 500 McKinney St., 77002, 832-393-1313.
The renovations will include placement of a new steel/glass stage area including lighting dedicated for concerts, plays, programs and other events. New granite pavers will cover most existing concrete along the Julia Ideson Building (JIB) side of the plaza area. All the existing wood deck areas will be removed in order to install granite pavers around the trees. New lighting around the trees will also be added. This renovation project is expected to be completed by late Winter 2017.
HPL does not want to inconvenience its customers, so even though the plaza area will be fenced, customers will still have access to the Central Library’s front door entrance and the garage area.
The design and construction of the Central Plaza renovation is being done by Lauren Griffith Associates, Landscape Architecture and Planning along with contractor Gadberry Construction Company, Inc.
The Houston Public Library (HPL) operates 35 neighborhood libraries, four HPL Express Libraries, a Central Library, the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research, The African American Library at the Gregory School, and the Parent Resource Library located in the Children’s Museum of Houston. With more than eight million visits per year in person and online, HPL is committed to excellent customer service and equitable access to information and programs by providing library customers with free use of a diverse collection of printed materials and electronic resources, Internet, laptop and computer use, and a variety of database and reference resources with live assistance online 24/7.
For further information visit the Houston Public Library at www.houstonlibrary.org on Twitter@houstonlibrary or call 832-393-1313.
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