Site work and new construction of a mixed-use development in Williamsburg, Virginia. Conceptual plans call for the construction of a municipal facility; and for site work for a municipal facility.

Update:The five-year CIP includes funding for the construction of a new Government Center and site improvements, such as parking and road redesign. This facility will consolidate various departments and services in one central location to better serve citizens. Completion of the new Government Center is anticipated in FY2029. Project is included in James City County Fiscal Year 2026-2030 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://www.dailypress.com/2025/06/04/community-input-sessions-for-county-library-addition-set-for-july/ Local residents will have several upcoming chances to share their ideas about a proposed 25,000-square-foot government center library addition. Two community input sessions are set for 2:30-5 p.m. on July 7 and 4:30-7 p.m. on July 9 at the James City County Recreation Center. The sessions are intended to allow citizens to weigh in on a proposed $49.6 million library addition that would be connected to the new $189.5 million government center being planned on Longhill Road. The Williamsburg Regional Library has two locations: its main location on Scotland Street and the James City County Library on Croaker Road in the northern part of the county. An idea for a third location was first proposed around 2007, according to library Director Sandy Towers. The request for the library became part of the county's capital improvement plan for fiscal years 2009 through 2013, but it didn't happen due to the economic downturn that occurred, she said. The request was then resubmitted for fiscal year 2019 and has been renewed since then. The idea for a library addition to the government center is newer and currently in the design phase. Assistant County Administrator Brad Rinehimer said programming and schematic designs are in process and that the cost "will be significantly less than the CIP requested amount." The current libraries' square footage has not kept pace with the county's population growth, Towers said. Plus, she added, today's libraries offer much more than just books, such as meeting spaces. "The use of libraries has evolved, and we need a new library building to kind of embrace that 21st century library experience for the community," she said. If the addition is approved by county supervisors, all three libraries would work as part of the already established regional library system, but they would not be "duplicates of each other," Towers said. The Croaker Road library would serve as a family hub, featuring the Kiwanis Kids Club Idea Studio and the future installation of an outdoor natural landscape playground in the fall. The Williamsburg Library would remain focused on arts and culture, with art galleries and both theater and musical programming. The government center library is envisioned as a "technology center," Towers said, featuring recording studios, a LEGO robotics program and services such as 3D printing and textile arts. Resources would be shared among the three locations. The regional library's operational cost is divided among Williamsburg, James City County and York County. For fiscal year 2026, James City County's contribution is 75.6%, while 13.7% comes from Williamsburg and 10.7% comes from York County. The percentages are based on circulation data from fiscal year 2024, the last complete year before the budget's formation. James City and York county officials have both discussed reexamining contracts with the regional library to make sure contributions are fair, but so far, nothing has changed. Capital costs (construction and large-ticket maintenance items) are, by contract, the "responsibly of the jurisdiction where the building is located," Powers said. This means each locality is responsible for building and maintaining their library within their own city limits. In terms of usage, looking at April's circulation numbers, Williamsburg residents accounted for 12% of checkouts, while James City residents used 73% and York residents 14%. About 1% of checkouts are from teachers who are eligible for a special teacher library card. "A regional library is an important thing for our community, and we would continue to operate as a regional system, sharing all of the resources, sharing all of the staff," she said. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/01/31/james-city-county-board-approves-sidewalks-near-laurel-lane-elementary-school/ JAMES CITY — New sidewalks are coming to the area near Laurel Lane Elementary School. On Tuesday, the James City County Board of Supervisors approved a $260,000 contract for a sidewalk improvement project at the school. The project is part of the county’s Safe Routes to School sidewalk project. Sidewalks will be constructed along Laurel Lane and along Willow and Brookwood drives, connecting with the existing Lake Powell Road sidewalk. The contract also calls for crosswalks as well as curb and gutter improvements. Paul Holt, the county’s community development director, said there currently aren’t any sidewalks along the roadways immediately adjacent to the elementary school. During the county’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan update, a citizen survey was sent out that saw “more walkable areas around schools,” especially elementary and middle schools, as a common response for county needs, Holt said. Funding is provided as part of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s previously awarded Transportation Alternatives grant. Preliminary engineering is set to start next month with construction tentatively scheduled for February 2027 and a project completion date of December 2028. The project follows Clara Byrd Baker Elementary School’s sidewalk project, which broke ground in 2023 and supplied walkways, crosswalks and pedestrian signage in the area of the school. In other business Tuesday, the board received updates on the new general services headquarters and the proposed new government center. Construction on the general services building, next to the law enforcement center on Opportunity Way, is planned to start in spring 2026 with completion estimated for February 2028. Meanwhile, plans for the proposed new government center continue, said Assistant County Administrator Brad Rinehimer. Rinehimer said he spoke with the Henderson design group about the potential addition of a library and traffic impact analysis updates for any impacts to the roadway around the center. The center, proposed for 5231 Longhill Road, is planned to bring disparate offices together across the county with an expected cost between $80 million to $150 million. ________________________________________________________________________ In FY2026, funding has been allocated for the construction of a new Government Center. This consolidated center will include buildings for County departments and site improvements, such as parking and road redesign. The facility will be centrally located off Longhill Road and allow citizens access to County services in a convenient location. As of July 23, 2024, this project is included in the County's 2025-2029 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) *Project information has been obtained through a public capital improvement plan (CIP). A CIP is a financial schedule for short- and long-range projects which is updated regularly. Information listed in the CIP often evolves based on funding availability and the project details, including timeline and value, are subject to change. The content management team will continue to pursue additional details as they become available.