An Atlanta contractor will design and build the new Gritters Library in Cobb County.

Cobb County commissioners chose Batson-Cook Construction to oversee the project during the board’s meeting Thursday night.

Gritters, a 7,500-square-foot neighborhood library originally built in 1973 is set to undergo a $6.8 million overhaul and expansion that will nearly double its size.

Cobb County is using $4.9 million in special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) money to cover most of the costs. Commissioners accepted a $1.9 million state grant needed to pay for the remainder of the makeover on Aug. 24.

Located at 880 Shaw Park Road in Marietta, Gritters is one of 15 public libraries in Cobb County’s system.

Cobb will pay Batson-Cook $692,050 for design work, fees and other pre-construction costs tied to the project. The price for the construction phase will be determined once the design has been finalized.

Construction for the new library is set to begin in December. It is not clear how long construction will take.

Gritters visitors will have to use nearby branches while the renovations are ongoing. The library system’s Bookmobile will circulate the community while Gritters is closed.

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