Central Library Getting A $44 Million Makeover

ATLANTA, GA — Atlanta-Fulton County's Central Library will undergo millions of dollars in renovations after a vote Wednesday by the Fulton County Commission.

The commission approved a $44.2 million contract for renovations at the library, which is already closed for renovations at 1 Margaret Mitchell Sq.

Opened in May 1980, Central Library was planned and designed by Marcel Breuer, part of the Bauhaus movement. A major renovation was completed in 2002 as the library system celebrated its centennial.

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The new contact was awarded to Winter Johnson Group and includes all services, from design through all stages of construction, according to the county.

In 2008, commissioners voted to place a $275 million bond referendum to fund a library master plan on the upcoming ballot. Voters approved it with 65 percent of the vote. The plan's first phase — building eight new libraries and renovating and expanding two others — already has been completed.

The second phase includes renovating 22 existing libraries, including Central Library.

Photo courtesy Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System