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Remake Dale City: How close are we to moving the neighborhood library?

The Dale City Neighborhood Library isn’t very large when compared to other regional libraries in Prince William County, like nearby Chinn Park, and Bull Run libraries.

But it is a busy one. On any given afternoon, finding a parking space here is a challenge, and that might give solace to those who defend libraries in the age of the internet.

This library recently won the attention of six planners from the American Institute of Architects Sustainable Design Assesment Team (SDAT for short) who visited Dale City last month. Among the many recommendations made by both the team and residents who attended a series of public meetings on redeveloping Dale City into a more friendly place to live, moving the library was one of them.

The Dale City Neighborhood Library sits in the heart of suburb it’s named after, in Center Plaza on Dale Boulevard at the intersection of Minnieville Road. It dates back about 30 years when many homes in Dale City were still under construction.

Now, the area’s population is getting older. Planners identified Center Plaza and nearby Mapledale Plaza as what could be the new twin downtowns for Dale City. Under the plan, the library would be relocated from Center to Mapledale, where it could join a new health spa, amphitheatre, and public space that would be added in what is now the parking lot of Mapledale Plaza that sits empty the majority of the time.

John Jenkins, who represents the Neabsco District portion of Dale City on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, says it’s an idea worth exploring. Marty Nohe represents the other half of Dale City, in the Coles District, and he said moving the library is dependent upon costs, and deciding whether or not the move would improve services provided to the public.

While it hasn’t been called a pipedream, moving the library won’t happen anytime soon. Two new libraries will open this year — one in Montclair and other in Gainesville. The land for the Montclair library was donated 30 years ago.

“People are planning things and telling you what they want, but we have to look at costs. Would it be a big library?… Would it be a regional library? If that were the case, you would have to do a bond referendum,” said Potomac District Supervisor Maureen Caddigan, who pushed for the construction of the Montclair library.

County officials in 2006 asked the voters by way of a referendum to borrow money to build the libraries. Voters said yes, and on Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. the new library will open to the public, said Caddigan. A similar grand opening is scheduled for a new library in Gainesville on Oct. 15, she added.

Read more in our “Remake Dale City” series: 

The ‘city’ has 2 centers

How new signs, bus stops could help create a sense of place

How the ‘Neabsco Greenway’ will bridge the gap

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