The new Hyattsville public library at 6530 Adelphi Rd., faced delays in construction due to last year’s wet weather and is now set to open next spring.

Michael Gannon, chief operating officer for support services in the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System, told the Hyattsville Wire that the project was also set back when it turned out that on-site soil conditions were poor.

Construction is slated to finish in December of this year, with the library ready to reopen in late March or early April of 2021 after being closed since March of 2017.

Gannon told the Hyattsville Wire that since the construction of the Laurel Branch Library, the county’s library system has made a commitment to constructing sustainable buildings.

“As the busiest public facilities in the county, we believe we should be showing the community that we are responsible stewards,” Gannon said. “This is exactly what we heard from the community when we had our series of planning meetings before the design of the building began. Many community members spoke in favor of sustainable design. ”

The new library will include a large green roof to reduce stormwater with PVC material to stop the “heat island” effect, solar panels, an energy-efficient and smart HVAC system further reducing energy consumption, and electric car-charging stations. The building’s exterior will be constructed using locally sourced brick, durable terracotta panels, as well as recycled components. When the library is complete, there will be signage educating the public about the building’s sustainable features.

Beyond all of its green features, the new $35.5 million library will hold 85,000 books, the most of any library in the county system and about four times as many as the temporary space in University Town Center. There will also be 74 public computers, the most of any county library. And it will be home to eight study rooms, two meeting rooms, conference rooms, a room for nursing mothers, a makerspace, a bookstore cafe, a local history and genealogy room and a children’s area.

“The theme of the Children’s Room is Discovery Village – with elements of classic children’s literature: a castle with drawbridge, the 3 Little Pigs’ houses kids can sit in and read as well as a troll bridge they can sit under, a friendly dragon, an enchanted tree and the Yellow Brick Road,” he said.

At 40,000 square feet, the library will be roughly the same size as the old building, but with an underground parking garage and most of the library on a single floor, Gannon said there will be more usable public space.

Outside, there will be a reading garden with a landscaped courtyard and seating near the historic flying saucer, which was moved last year toward the Toledo Road side of the property. There will also be a reading terrace overlooking the saucer.

“The saucer is doing fine,” Gannon said. “It’s been moved to its new location and had barriers and other protection put around it so it doesn’t inadvertently get damaged. … We watched it being moved and held our breath the entire time.”