Burbank is moving ahead with a long-awaited new central library and civic center, as the City Council on Tuesday approved a $155 million contract with Clark Construction Group for the project, with total costs expected to reach roughly $185 million to $190 million.
The 5-0 vote caps a process that began when voters first approved the project in 2003, and it clears the way for design work to begin immediately, with early construction activity — including abatement and demolition of existing buildings — expected next year and a full opening anticipated for spring 2029.
This “generational” project for the Burbank community is “transformational” for the city’s downtown, Library Services Director Eric Lashley said.
The project includes a 310-stall parking garage, a building of roughly 97,500 square feet that will house the library along with the city’s management services and finance departments and about 43,000 square feet of open space.
The council added a requirement that Clark negotiate a project labor agreement — or PLA, a contract setting union labor terms, including a no-strike clause and local hire provisions — before any construction begins, with cost and deliverable updates due back in January 2027. The PLA carries an estimated premium of 2% to 3%, or roughly $3.1 million to $4.6 million, according to figures discussed during the meeting.
Financial Services Director Jennifer Becker said the project would be financed through lease revenue bonds backed by Measure P infrastructure funds rather than general fund dollars, with pre-construction work fully funded using city funds and a $10 million state grant matched by $10 million from the municipal infrastructure fund.
The AI platform Civilio assisted this report.