On Monday, June 2, the parish council took another step toward the construction of a new Hahnville library branch at 15090 River Road. The new building, which could be completed by 2027, will replace the existing branch, and the entire project could cost about $7 to $7.5 million.
In an 6-1 vote, the council approved a $1.55 million contract to hire Woodward Design + Build, LCC as the Construction Manager at Risk for the project. The preconstruction services will include foundation work, ordering materials and drawing up a fixed price for the full project.
Last May, the council approved an estimated $387,941 contract with Grace Hebert Curtis Architects to perform architectural services for the project.
Lauren Campo Pitz, assistant director of the library, said she anticipates that construction for the new building will begin in 2026, and she hopes that the new branch will open sometime in 2027. But she stressed that there is no specific timeline yet.
She said the library’s administration first considered opportunities for a new Hahnville branch back in 2021.
“We began investigating options that included evaluating how we could renovate the existing branch and looking at properties that were available for sale near the existing branch,” Pitz said. “After much consideration, the library board decided to purchase property to build a new branch.”
The property on River Road was purchased in November 2021.
Pitz said the library staff is hoping a new facility will attract more patrons.
“The Hahnville branch staff has a great relationship with the patrons already who use the library,” she said. “There are new subdivisions and new families moving into the area, so we’re excited to give them one more place to visit for learning and fun.”
Pitz said the new library design will make it easier for patrons to browse library materials and find a place to read or study because there will be more room for patrons of all ages.
“The overall design takes into account the beauty of the environment surrounding the building, so it will be a more inviting atmosphere for everyone,” she said. “The building will be bigger and will be open more hours, so there will be more opportunities for people to gather and meet or just find a quiet place to read.”
She said the new building will also allow the library to host events and activities more easily, especially large-scale events.
“There will be a lot of green space for outdoor activities too, and the location will still be easily accessible by people walking or biking on the levee,” Pitz said.
She said the parish’s local history materials will be housed in a dedicated space at the library’s new location. Before Hurricane Ida, the materials were in their own room at the West Regional library in Lulung, but the storm blew the wall off the second story room.
“We were lucky to save most of the materials by the quick actions of some of our staff who stayed throughout the hurricane,” Pitz said.
She said staff moved those material to the Hahnville branch while the second floor of the West Regional library was being repaired. The staff then decided to keep them at the Hahnville branch and make that collection a feature of the new library branch.
“The dedicated room for local history materials will make that sort of research easier,” she said.
Pitz wants residents to know that the new library will be worth the wait.
“We know that the planning phase of construction projects takes a long time, especially when they are for large buildings,” Pitz said. “We are committed to providing the residents of St. Charles Parish a library that they can be proud of.”
The St. Charles Parish library system has six branches. The Hahnville branch has been waiting its turn for a renovation or new construction, Pitz said.
A new makerspace at the West Regional library will open to the public later this summer. The St. Rose branch library reopened in March after undergoing building improvements, including new paint, new carpet, and a reconfiguration of shelves. That branch will also receive new computer furniture and children’s area furniture later this year.
Aside from general maintenance and upkeep, there are no other renovations or construction projects currently planned.
