Southwest Regional Library

Summary

Union County's Southwest Regional Library is an operating public library on Cuthbertson Road near Waxhaw. The roughly 21,000-square-foot first phase opened in April 2024 with collections, meeting and study rooms, children's and teen areas, technology spaces, a STEAM lab, and outdoor space. County records show a final revised project appropriation of $14.599 million.

Current stage: Completed or operational.

Key Facts

Project Funding

Funding type: Mixed public private · Status: Changed

Timeline

1. 2026-05-04

   County revises project budget for closeout

   Union County reduced the project appropriation from $14,817,414 to $14,598,917 and replaced a $300,000 donations line with a state grant. The final source schedule also records $10.31 million in bond proceeds, a $192,500 bond premium, $296,417 in investment earnings, and a $3.5 million General Fund transfer.

2. 2024-04-19

   Southwest Regional Library opens

   Union County opened the library to the public after supply-chain delays during construction. The County reported an approximately 19,000-square-foot facility, a $14.7 million construction cost, and more than 70,000 residents within a 15-minute drive.

   Stage after event: Completed or operational
3. 2023-02-10

   Foundation celebrates major gifts

   The Union County Library Foundation announced two gifts totaling $350,000 for an early-literacy center and adult reading room. By opening, the Foundation had raised $822,000 for books, amenities, technology, and program spaces.

4. 2022-08-01

   Construction phase begins

   Union County's capital schedule begins the construction phase on August 1, 2022. The Library's later public history describes physical construction as starting in December 2022, a narrower field-work date within that phase.

   Stage after event: Under construction
5. 2021-12

   Trade-contractor procurement begins

   Construction manager Edifice sought prequalification for trade packages for a single-story, 21,285-square-foot library designed by Little for Union County.

6. 2021-11-15

   County breaks ground on smaller first phase

   Union County held a groundbreaking for a first phase of about 20,000 to 21,000 square feet, substantially smaller than the original 35,000-square-foot plan. The revised design retained the ability to expand to 35,000 square feet later.

7. 2020-02-28

   Library design phase starts

   Union County's project schedule marks the start of design work. Little later documented its architecture, interior architecture, engineering, and site-design role and the community-engagement process used to shape the building program.

   Stage after event: Preliminary design or environmental review
8. 2018-11-01

   Site and predesign work begins

   The County's capital-project schedule records the start of land and predesign work. That phase continued through January 2020 and led into formal design.

9. 2016-11-08

   Voters approve library bond

   Union County voters approved $10.1 million in general-obligation bond authority for the Southwest Regional Library, with 63.21 percent voting in favor. The County's FY 2018 budget retained the planned 35,000-square-foot scope at that stage.

   Stage after event: Funded or programmed
10. 2013

    County proposes regional library

    Union County's proposed FY 2014-2019 capital program described a new 35,000-square-foot full-service library for southwestern Union County. The plan responded to the limited space and parking at the 2,903-square-foot Waxhaw branch.

    Stage after event: Proposed or conceptual

Geography

Map

ExactApproximate

Solid geometry is exact. Dotted geometry and dotted-outline markers are approximate. Multiple markers may show independently verified locations; they are not connected and do not establish a route or alignment.