Gwinnett awards $5M construction contract for new Duluth library

The new Duluth library will be twice the size of this existing branch on Duluth Park Lane.

The new Duluth library will be twice the size of this existing branch on Duluth Park Lane.

Gwinnett County commissioners approved Tuesday a $5 million contract for the construction of a new Duluth library branch.

The long-awaited new branch will be built downtown on Main Street, replacing the aging facility on Duluth Park Lane. At 22,000 square feet, the new branch will be about twice the size of the existing library.

The new facility could be open by the end of 2020, officials said.

“Very excited about this project,” District 1 Commissioner Jace Brooks said. “Great to see construction starting.”

The contract was awarded to Cooper & Company General Contractors, which submitted the lowest of three bids.

Construction will be paid for using 2009 and 2014 SPLOST collections.

The city of Duluth provided the land for the library and will also reimburse the county about $188,000 in streetscaping costs.