How long has it been since you walked into the library at 900 Civic Center Dr.? For most of Richardson, the answer is more than three years. The building closed on Sept. 9, 2023, and library service moved to a temporary space at 2360 Campbell Creek Blvd. The temporary branch closed at 6 p.m. on Oct. 11, 2026, so staff could move everything back into the renovated building, which now uses the address 421 W. Arapaho Rd.
The building that reopens is a different kind of place. It added nearly 12,000 square feet, and much of the new planning went into rooms for doing things: a maker space, a test kitchen, a podcast room, and a children's program room that seats up to 150. The building was also turned to face the civic plaza that Richardson is rebuilding around it.
Three years, five target dates
The schedule moved more than once. The City of Richardson's renovation page records each estimate as it was given:
| When the city said it | Expected finish |
|---|---|
| Sept. 2023 | End of 2025 |
| Feb. 2024 | January 2026 |
| May 2025 | First quarter of 2026 |
| Oct. 2025 | Mid-2026 |
| Sept. 2026 | "Later this fall" |
The building's age explains part of the delay. During demolition, crews found asbestos and structural inconsistencies, which meant extensive fire-suppression coring and scanning for structural tie-ins. The work also added basement waterproofing, a new transformer and upgraded security.
The money came from two places. The project's original budget was $48.1 million: $36.1 million approved by voters in the 2021 Bond Program and $12 million in Certificates of Obligation that the City Council approved in January 2023. In February 2024, city staff recommended a $31.4 million guaranteed maximum price for construction. Steinberg Hart and Architexas handled the design, and Balfour Beatty Construction was the construction manager.
As of the city's most recent updates, there is still no grand reopening date. The Richardson-Garland Herald reported that the move would take about six weeks from Oct. 11. That points to late November, but it's an estimate, not a date.
The square footage went to rooms you use
The footprint grows from 71,583 square feet to 83,576. Floors two and three gained more than 6,000 square feet between them by filling in existing open areas, and the 2023 plan listed more than 30 new features.
The biggest change for adults is the new maker space and test kitchen. In its September report, the Richardson-Garland Herald listed equipment discussed at a library board meeting: 3D printers, a laser cutter, sewing and embroidery machines, a heat press, a dye-sublimation printer and a Cricut cutting machine. The building is also planned to include a podcast room built for sound, and patrons will need to finish training before using maker equipment.
Other features from the city's plans:
- An after-hours pickup area for holds
- A dedicated local history room with collection displays
- A consolidated area for adults
- A prominent public stair connecting every level
- A large event space
These come from plans and staff briefings, so final layouts may differ once the doors open. Even so, the list shows what the library is planning for: residents who come in to build, record, cook or meet.
Youth services take over two floors
Before the renovation, youth services sat on the main floor. That changes. Youth Services Supervisor Shay Brooks put it this way to the library board in August, as reported by the Richardson-Garland Herald:
"Youth services is growing up. Literally. Youth services will be expanding from just the main floor."
Here's who goes where under the plan the Herald described:
| Age group | Floor | What's planned |
|---|---|---|
| Babies through preschool | First | Board-book bins, child-sized seating, an interactive play wall and a "cozy cave" under the stairs, near what staff call the community living room |
| Children's program room | Not specified | Seats up to 150, with discovery tables of Duplo blocks, light boxes, magnet tiles and translucent letters and numbers for math, science, art and basic coding |
| Ages 6 to 12 | Second | Kids' collections, a laptop kiosk, space for tutors and group projects, and areas for board and card games |
| Teens 13 to 18 | Second | Two study rooms, TV monitors that connect to laptops, charging cables, whiteboards, flexible seating and more room for graphic novels and manga |
For families, the split means a toddler's storytime and a middle schooler's group project no longer compete for the same floor.
The building now faces the plaza
The outside changes as much as the inside. The 2023 design briefing laid out four exterior changes. Much of the concrete on the third floor's east side, facing Fountain Plaza, gets replaced with glass, opening views of the fountain and the new City Hall. The main entrance moves to the southeast corner with a new drop-off lane. A drive-up book drop goes on the left side of the building. A glass-enclosed staircase is added on the south side.
The new entrance is meant to give people easier access to Fountain Plaza and to make the walk from City Hall more convenient. City Hall is the other half of the project, and it isn't finished. The city's City Hall page says construction is underway, move-in is expected in early 2027, and the new building is sited to flank Fountain Plaza and give it more prominence. So between the library's reopening and City Hall's move-in, the library will be the finished building on a campus that's still under construction.
Two public art pieces are planned for the library. A selection panel picked them from more than 200 artist applications. SOFTlab's "Lighter Than Air" is a group of colorful, suspended aluminum forms that can read as bubbles, clouds or butterflies, and it's meant to hang in the children's area. Brad Oldham Sculpture's "Enchanted Silicon Prairie" features oversized Texas wildflowers, a stack of books and a 20-inch, mirror-polished version of Oldham's BIRD character. It's planned for the new entrance drive. Longtime residents may remember BIRD: other versions were installed on loan near the Civic Center Fountain during arts celebrations in 2015 and 2016, and the panel liked that link between the old library and the new one. The city's upcoming public art page still lists both as planned works, so look for them when you visit.
Until the doors open
The temporary branch and its book drop are closed, but a few services carry on.
- Keep what you have. Due dates for anything checked out before the move are extended until the library reopens.
- Go digital. E-books, audiobooks, research databases and language-learning tools stay available through the myRPL Digital Library. The city suggests making sure your card is current.
- Book clubs still meet. Monthly book clubs and the Spookilicious Halloween program continue at City Hall. The city calendar lists Pages of Perspective Bookclub on Nov. 5 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at 2360 Campbell Creek Blvd. It also lists Droids and Druids Book Club on Nov. 12 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Confirm the room before you go.
- Borrow next door. Richardson's own library card page says Plano and Garland don't charge Richardson residents a nonresident fee.
- Think about TexShare later. The statewide TexShare program offers borrowing at almost 500 participating libraries. Richardson residents apply at the Circulation Desk once they're 16 or older and have held a Richardson card for six months, so this one has to wait until the building reopens.
- Ask a person. Staff answer the phone at 972-744-4280 during normal hours and reply to email at [email protected].
Holds pickup, donations, notary services and 3D printing are paused until the renovated building opens. The library's homepage will post the reopening announcement first.
If the reopening falls in early December, it will share a calendar with the city's other big civic weekend. The Richardson Christmas Parade runs Saturday, Dec. 5, at 9 a.m. along Coit Road. Santa's Village at Huffhines Park opens that same evening at 1500 Apollo Road.
At Cardinal Realty Group, we care about the places that make a Richardson week work, and the library at Fountain Plaza is about to become one of them again. If you're weighing a move within Richardson and want to be close to the new maker space or teen rooms, schedule a free consultation and get your instant home valuation. We'll help you figure out which streets keep the library an easy trip.
