Community Feedback Sought For Cedar Park Library Design

CEDAR PARK, TX — Cedar Park officials on Monday launched a survey aimed at securing public feedback and input on the design of a new public library.

Plans call for relocating the existing library to a new, multi-story facility that will anchor the Bell District. Officials categorized the survey as a key component of the design process kicking off this month, officials wrote in an advisory. The process will begin with public engagement to help capture the community’s creative aspirations and ideas while envisioning the possibilities of what the new library could offer, according to the advisory.

"The city wants to know what residents like most, what they would want to do when visiting and what excites them most about the library," officials wrote. To that end, the survey is one of multiple opportunities community members will have to participate in throughout the design process, officials added.

The survey is accessible via the City of Cedar Park website through Feb. 28. At the end of the survey, participants will have the opportunity to volunteer to participate in virtual focus groups about the new library, officials noted.

New Library project background and description

City officials provided a snapshot of the new library plans:

"The Cedar Park Public Library is the most utilized of all city facilities. This, coupled with Cedar Park’s massive population growth, has resulted in the library outgrowing its space at its current location. Voters approved funding for a new library in 2015. The new library will be 60 percent larger than the existing library.

"The new multi-story library is being designed by the renowned Lake | Flato Architects, Inc. It will be surrounded by dozens of large heritage trees and a 16-acre park with a trail. It will anchor the urban-style, walkable mixed-use Bell District development that will include restaurants, shopping, and other amenities, enabling visitors to make a day out of their trip to the library. Such a picturesque and energetic setting certainly inspires the design and creates new opportunities for the new library to establish an even stronger identity as a 'great front porch' for the community and a 'civic living room.'

"As the most frequently visited Cedar Park public facility and vital community space, the library will be designed with the community’s unique needs in mind. The new library facility could include additional program space, classrooms and conference rooms, quiet spaces, new technology, capacity for more materials, and increased parking capacity. The new library will have dedicated outdoor space, providing new avenues for Library programming nestled in a natural setting."

Construction is expected to begin in fall 2022 with a projected opening in spring 2024. For more information and updates, click here.