City of Burbank Awarded $9.95 Million Grant to Build a Modern Central Library

Burbank, CA (October 16, 2023) – The City of Burbank has been awarded a grant of $9.95 million from the California State Library to fund a new, modern Central Library. Burbank was one of 34 recipients of $172 million total statewide, out of a pool of nearly 150 applicants for the Building Forward Library Facilities Improvement Program.

A new Central Library is proposed as part of the larger Burbank Civic Center Project, a transformative opportunity to meet City Council goals and community needs while building a thriving downtown neighborhood in a sustainable and fiscally responsible way. The project also proposes the development of affordable and workforce housing, new open space, parking, and City office space in downtown Burbank.

“The new Burbank Central Library will bring significant opportunity not only to downtown Burbank but to all residents of the City. In a modern facility, the Library will be able to expand support for students, job seekers, lifelong learners, and those needing information and connection,” said Library Services Director Elizabeth Goldman. “We are grateful to the California State Legislature for providing funding for public library construction and to the California State Library for recognizing the innovation and positive impact that will be made possible by the Burbank Central Library project.”

The $172 million is part of $489 million earmarked by Gov. Gavin Newson and the Legislature to improve libraries.

“It’s great the State Library can provide this opportunity for California libraries to address critical maintenance and accessibility needs. The return on investing in local libraries is always big,” said California State Librarian Greg Lucas.

The grant secures a significant portion of funding for the overall estimated cost of $68 million for the new library. Grant funds will be put toward building features that support its sustainability, accessibility, and resilience.

The new library will replace the current space, a 60-year-old building that is limited by its age and condition in supporting the Burbank community’s needs in education, workforce development, technology training, and access to information and culture.

“This grant from the California State Library is a momentous opportunity for the City of Burbank and gets us closer to creating a new modern state-of-the-art Central Library. We are committed to making the most of this opportunity and look forward to the day when we can celebrate the completion of this transformative community project,” said City Manager Justin Hess.

Planning for the Civic Center and new Central Library is underway. City staff will present plans to the City Council in 2024 before launching a competitive process to identify a development partner, with the target date for the opening of the new library in 2028.

For more information, to provide input, or to register for project updates, visit www.burbankciviccenter.com.