The Tenley-Friendship Library on Wisconsin Avenue is scheduled to re-open in January, six years after it stopped serving the public at the site opposite the Tenleytown-AU Metro station.
The District spent $112 million to upgrade area libraries, according to library spokesman George Williams. The Tenley-Friendship Library cost $10 million, according to the library’s architect, the Freelon Group. An interim library opened in 2006 at 4200 Wisconsin Ave.
The library in Tenleytown was razed in October 2007, according to The Washington Post. The city planned to use the site for a mixed-use project that may have included residential and retail space in addition to the library, said Matthew Troy IV, the project manager for the D.C. Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.
The economic crisis ultimately postponed expansion indefinitely, Troy said.
The city finally allowed construction to begin in September 2009 at the urging of the community, Troy said, but the city intends to pursue further development on the site that will increase sustainable development and reduce the community’s reliance on cars.
The 22,000 square foot library is designed to encourage people to explore the inside, Williams said.
The building will include a vegetative green roof, solar panels and other energy efficient features that could help the library earn LEED certification, according to the Freelon Group website.
Large and small meeting rooms, wireless Internet access and spaces specific to adults, adolescents and children will also be provided.
Structural supports built into the back third of the two-story building will enable future construction on top.
“We wanted to take advantage of a transit-oriented development on top of a Metro station,” Troy said.
University Librarian Bill Mayer is looking forward to discussing opportunities for partnership between the Tenley-Friendship Library and AU, according to the library’s Director of Public and University Relations Diana Vogelsong. She added that the two could share programs, instruction or speakers, and the public library’s community-based collection may be beneficial to AU students.
kdakin@theeagleonline.com
