New Parklands-Turner/Congress Heights Library

A new, full-service library will replace the Parklands-Turner Library

Funding has been allocated to design and build a new full-service, 20,000 square foot library to replace the store-front Parklands-Turner Library, located at 1547 Alabama Ave. SE.

On July 15, 2021, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that the new library in Congress Heights will be built on Parcel 16 on the St. Elizabeth's East campus and adjacent to the Congress Heights Metro Station.

The Library hosted an initial community meeting on Dec. 9 to share information about this exciting project.

View the meeting presentation here.

Design-Build Team Selection

The Library will select a design-build team through a two-step competitive process. Two community members will help select the team. Design work is expected to start later in 2022. There will be many opportunities for the community to provide input into the library's design.

The new library is fully funded with $20.15 million in the District’s FY 2022-2027 budget.

Community Engagement

Community input is always a critical part of designing a new DC Public Library location. The Library will engage residents in a variety of ways including:

Surveys
Focus Groups
Community Meetings
Online Engagement
Attendance at community events

If you have ideas for ways the Library can reach residents, please contact Martha Saccocio at martha.saccocio@dc.gov or 202-604-8241.

Site Identification Background

In 2019, DC Public Library undertook a study to identify potential locations to build a permanent library to replace the temporary leased location.

There were two main criteria for site identification:

The site should be within one-half mile of the existing store-front library.
The site should allow for a 20,000 square foot library that would be owned by the city.