A plan to have a developer pay Arlington County $5.8 million instead of building a planned library in Crystal City could get final approval this weekend.
Citing “site, operating, and capital budget constraints,” a county report calls for accepting a proposal “to support library operations elsewhere” by receiving payments from JBG Smith in installments over the next six years.
“Staff remains committed to expanding library operations throughout the County, and specifically within the Crystal City Coordinated Redevelopment District,” the report says. “Whereas the location in the 1901 S. Bell Street office building (Mall IV) is no longer deemed feasible, the County remains actively engaged in finding other suitable locations for expanded library services serving the Crystal City community, which these funds could support.”
The item is included on the consent calendar for the Arlington County Board’s Saturday meeting, which is generally reserved for non-controversial decisions to be passed in bulk. It could, however, be moved to Tuesday’s meeting at a Board member’s request.
JBG Smith agreed to financially support a new 7,200-square-foot library branch as condition of redeveloping an old office building called Crystal Plaza One. The developer was meant to provide a rent-free space for up to 20 years, along with 25 parking spaces and $250,000 per year for five years for operational support.
JBG Smith has already paid the county two support payments totaling $500,000. However, plans to build out the library never crystalized — with the county delaying the lease execution deadline once in October 2022 and again in March 2023.
A plan to discontinue the project was included the the county’s proposed Fiscal Year 2025 budget.
“Opening a new library branch would require more than $1 million annually in operating and staff costs and is not practical with funding limitations this year,” the report says.
Civic associations representing Arlington Ridge, Aurora Highlands and Crystal City filed a letter last month expressing dismay about the library getting nixed. The groups’ Livability22202 action plan for the broader area calls for building “a larger centrally located library… in addition to a smaller, separate library branch in Crystal City.”
The need for a library has only increased as the area’s population has grown, the civic associations argued. They called for finding a new Crystal City site and also expanding or relocating the Aurora Hills Library.
“Something needs to be done to provide the essential services and amenities for the growing population of 22202,” the letter says.
The county plans to base its recommendations for future Crystal City services and offerings on feedback from the Future of Libraries community engagement process.
