With a promised community library for Crystal City on the sidelines for now, one library advocate has floated an alternate proposal.
Speaking at the July 7 public hearing on the county’s new 10-year, $4.3 billion capital improvement plan, Crystal City resident Michael Skros urged county leaders to focus instead on upgrading the nearby Aurora Hills branch library.
“It’s a great building, but could use a little bit of love,” Skros told County Board members.
In 2024, developer JBG Smith offered the county government nearly $6 million to support a new Crystal City-area library. The offer came in lieu of earlier plans to have JBG Smith provide space for a 7,200-square-foot branch in one of its existing buildings.
In the interim, county officials have not moved forward. When pressed in February by the president of the Aurora Highlands Civic Association, County Manager Mark Schwartz said getting a Crystal City library was “on our to-do list,” but offered few specifics.
Funding from JBG Smith could support upgrades to the Aurora Hills Library without impacting the county budget, Skros said in his testimony.
“The building’s already there,” he said. “You wouldn’t necessarily need to increase operational costs — it’s all staffed.”
He added:
“Six million dollars could go a long way in potentially renovating the building, expanding it a bit, purchasing a larger collection. It would deliver a more immediate benefit to residents of Crystal City, most of whom live within a mile of that library, instead of just having those funds sit there.”
In response, Board Chair Matt de Ferranti called the proposal “a creative and good idea.”
“You’ve raised a fair question” about what to do with the JBG Smith funding, he said.
How staff might react to the proposal isn’t known. In February, Schwartz said one possibility for obtaining a Crystal City branch library more quickly was to partner with a different developer.
“We’re looking for the next best opportunity,” the county manager said at the time.
At the July 7 meeting, de Ferranti urged Skros to continue his advocacy and engage others in the effort. Strong follow-up could “get you a chance of getting what you want,” he said.
Aurora Hills Library recently marked its 100th anniversary, having been in its current location at 18th Street S. for more than half that time.
