By Robert Oliver, President of Lamond-Riggs Library Friends
January 4, 2021, marked the end of an era for the Lamond-Riggs Community Library at 5401 South Dakota Avenue NE. Razing of the library began at 10:40 am. The old library will be replaced with a new $20 million library developed by the design/build team of HGA, an architectural firm, and Consigli Construction. Construction is estimated to take 18 months, so the new Lamond-Riggs Library could open by late spring 2022.
The original building, a $2 million facility, opened on October 24, 1983. Despite community efforts and the need for a library, over 20 years had passed before Congressional approval and funding were obtained. The design/build team of architects Bryant & Bryant and A. A. Beiro Construction Company brought the original library to life.
Charles I. Bryant, the eldest of the architectural team, is well regarded in his field. He has been honored as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA), which is bestowed to those who have made outstanding contributions to the profession. Locally, Mr. Bryant’s work includes Dunbar Senior High School, the University of the District of Columbia Van Ness Campus, and the Howard University Cancer Center.
The razing of the old Lamond-Riggs Library is expected to take several weeks and end in late February. DC Public Library (DCPL) officials are aware of the impact of construction in a residential community, so to minimize the impact, the building will be slowly dismantled and the debris hauled away.
DCPL will meet with the DC Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) on January 13, 2021, to request special exceptions to lot occupancy and minimum vehicle parking requirements. To show community support, DCPL obtained letters of support from both ANC 4B and 5A inNovember 2020. Construction of the new Lamond-Riggs Library can begin once BZA grants the exceptions and the razing is complete.
The project website is https://www.dclibrary.org/newlamondriggs.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 
So excited to see this project move forward!! Thanks Mr. Oliver for taking the photos! I am looking forward to the grand opening in months to come.