Bee Cave City Council moved to cancel contracts with Hoar Construction and Lake Flato Architects for the proposed new Bee Cave Public Library construction at the April 14 meeting after residents voted against issuing bonds to fund the library last November.
The overview
During the November bond election, voters approved Proposition A to authorize the construction of an 18,500-square-foot library on the Skaggs tract, near Hill Country Indoor.
Yet, voters did not support Proposition B, a measure that would have authorized the city to issue bonds and levy a tax to fund the $19.98 million project. The bond would have increased property taxes up to $0.0148 per $100 of valuation, or approximately $114 per year for the average taxable home in Bee Cave, according to a Sept. 23 news release from the city.
Due to the lack of support for Proposition B, the project has been paused since the vote.
The details
Bee Cave entered into a contract with Hoar Construction and Lake Flato Architects in 2023 for the planning and construction of the library.
“It’s really sad that we had to get to this point,” Mayor Kara King said at the April 14 meeting. “The community spoke … and this gives us time to see how we want to proceed with our next steps.”
In March, City Council staff met with the Capital Improvement Plan Subcommittee to discuss the status of city projects, including the library. The subcommittee decided to consider the revision of the Bee Cave Public Library’s space needs through “alternative methods.”
What’s next
While the construction of the new library is currently on pause, the Bee Cave Public Library still resides at Bee Cave City Hall, located at 4000 Galleria Parkway.
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