C.W. Driver Companies, a premier builder providing general contracting, construction management and design-build services to California, broke ground on the $17.9 million construction of the new Mission Hills-Hillcrest Harley & Bessie Knox Public Library, the company announced today. The 14,000-square-foot, one-story structure will be nearly four times the size of the current library, and will be constructed on the site of the old International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) building located at 925 West Washington Street. The project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2018.

“We are looking forward to working with the City of San Diego toward the completion of another comprehensive library project in the San Diego region,” said Richard Freeark, senior vice president of C.W. Driver Companies’ San Diego region. “The new-and-improved space will add substantial value to the community, and will provide enhanced community meeting rooms, gathering spaces and more for local residents, teens and children.”

Originally opened in 1961, the library is being reconstructed to better serve the growing population of the surrounding neighborhoods. The new library will feature a study space, computer lab, community meeting room, Friend’s of the Library room and children and teen spaces.

With architectural direction by Manuel Oncina Architects and Ferguson Pape Baldwin Architects, the project will be LEED Gold certified and will rest on top of a 30,000-square-foot, two-story below grade parking structure with 85 parking spaces, 76 more than the previous facility. Off-site improvements such as a drought-tolerant landscape and the formation of a cul-de-sac are similarly included in this project.

In addition to Freeark, a number of C.W. Driver Companies team members will play a vital role in this project, including Andy Feth, project director; Todd Rider, project manager; John Nelson, senior superintendent; Daniel Tillett, senior project engineer; and Karen Lord, project coordinator.

“Libraries are so much more than books, they’re gathering spaces where families gather, students learn and communities grow,” said City of San Diego Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer. “This new library will serve neighborhoods that have seen significant growth at a time when education and affordable access to the Internet is more important than ever before.”

Mission Hills-Hillcrest Harley & Bessie Knox Public Library bolsters C.W. Driver Companies’ roster of civic projects for the San Diego region. Past projects include: Alpine Branch Library, Ramona Branch Library and Fallbrook Branch Library.

This article is featured in RENTV,  SDMETRO, and The San Diego Union-Tribune.