City and state officials marked a major milestone in the construction of the City’s newest library with a ceremonial beam signing on Sept. 10. The topping out ceremony celebrated the placement of the highest beam on the project, which will deliver Chula Vista’s first new library since 1995.
The modern, glass-paneled structure is quickly taking shape since construction began in 2023. Once completed in 2025, the building will be 168,000-square-feet and four stories tall. Two of those floors will house a new, 60,000-square-foot City library, featuring an extensive collection of materials, as well as meeting and community spaces, a gallery space, a passport office and a small business incubator. The City continues negotiating with potential university partners to provide space for higher education opportunities.
“This new, technologically advanced library represents a historic advancement for Chula Vista,” said Mayor John McCann. “The facility will provide our citizens with improved digital access, information, resources, community engagement, and be a major keystone in bringing higher education to the South County.”
An impressive $30 million in funding from the State of California, administered by the California State Library, enabled the project to get off the ground. Of the total, Assemblymember David Alvarez secured $25 million, and State Senate President Pro Tempore Emeritus Toni G. Atkins secured another $5 million.
“For people of all ages and backgrounds, libraries provide free resources, safe places for the community to gather, and a path to discovery and education,” said Atkins. “The Millenia Library was the largest single beneficiary of state funds for libraries in the San Diego region in 2020. My colleagues and I in the Legislature were proud to secure funding to help make this project a reality for the community of Chula Vista.”
“I was proud to obtain $25 million in state funding for this project, which will provide the community a state-of-the-art library and offer space for higher education programs as we plan for the development of a multi-institutional university in Chula Vista,” said Alvarez.
Chula Vista is poised to bring the vision to life of four-year university options in Chula Vista. State Senator Steve Padilla, a former Mayor and member of the Chula Vista City Council, also played a critical role in getting the City to this point. He and Alvarez helped secure approval of a Surplus Land Act exemption on a nearby 383-acre site for use as higher education and employment-related development. Padilla has also been committed to the library project for decades.
“Libraries are pillars of community, providing access to knowledge and space for shared learning and education,” he said. “Our community deserves the transformational opportunities that are to come from these critical investments.”
When the new City library is completed, temporary library facilities currently located in the Otay Ranch Town Center will move into the much larger new space, making the new library the City’s largest. The Chula Vista Public Library was also awarded nearly $19.5 million in state grants last year to make critical upgrades at the Civic Center and South Branch libraries. Those grants were part of the California State Library’s Building Forward Library Facilities Improvement Program.
