One entrance to Central Library has temporarily closed, kicking off several months of renovations to stop water from getting into the building and its parking garage.
The public entrance to the library on N. Quincy Street closed last week and is currently fenced off. Much of the patio has been torn up into piles of bricks as the $2.3 million project, first approved in the county’s 2025-2034 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), gets underway.
“Arlington County is undertaking a project to address ongoing water intrusion issues in the Central Library parking garage and the library building itself,” Arlington Public Library spokesperson Anneliesa Alprin told ARLnow. “The project will include perimeter drainage improvements and plaza re-grading around the building.”
The CIP also mentions addressing “potential safety concerns from tripping and fall hazards” at the library, located at 1015 N. Quincy Street.
The entrance on the parking lot side of the building remains open for now, but renovations will shift over there once this phase of the project is complete. At least one entrance will always remain open, and patrons will be directed to alternate book drops and entrances during closures, Alprin said.
Work will also take place in the patio area outside the auditorium, although the auditorium will remain open throughout the project.
The whole undertaking is expected to last through the spring.
Central Library is also currently undergoing maintenance on its elevators, restrooms, roof and climate control systems, according to an online notice. The County Board approved a $5.5 million contract in early 2025 to support replacement of the elevators and roof, refurbishment of the restrooms and redesign of the mechanical systems supporting the Charlie Clark Center for Local History and the auditorium.
Work on the auditorium is now complete and public restrooms are open while the surface parking lot off of Quincy Street is partially open, according to the notice. All other parking lots and the garage are open.
“The library will remain accessible and operational throughout the projects,” the notice says. “Our apologies for any inconvenience or disruption as we provide regularly scheduled maintenance for our building.”
