See inside Carrboro's $42 million downtown library
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The entrance to downtown Carrboro's new library. Photo: Zachery Eanes/Axios
One of the Triangle's largest public projects is now open to the public.
Why it matters: Carrboro's $42 million Drakeford Library Complex opened last week — capping nearly three years of construction, providing a new community gathering space in the heart of Carrboro.
- The building is at 203 S. Greensboro St., next to Open Eye Cafe.
State of play: The library — named after Robert "Bob" Drakeford, who made history as Carrboro's first Black mayor — is one of many new investments made by Triangle communities into their libraries.
- Durham County spent $41 million on a new downtown library that opened in 2021, and has become a popular place for co-workers and community events.
- Last year, Wake County voters approved a $142 million bond that will renovate and expand several libraries throughout the county and potentially build new ones in the fast-growing towns of Rolesville and Apex.
Zoom in: The Drakeford Library Complex was built as the home for Orange County's Southern Branch Library — but the three-story building will have many other uses.
- The building houses Carrboro Recreation, Parks and Cultural Resources; space for Durham Technical Community College; Orange County Skills Development Center; WCOM Radio; a teen center; and performance/multipurpose uses.
- Several meeting spaces and classrooms throughout the library will be available for residents to use.
- It'll have a free parking deck with 171 vehicle parking spaces and 70 bike parking spots — a critical feature as many residents bemoaned the loss of the surface parking lot the library was built over.
