Renovations for Buckingham’s new library and community center started Oct. 9.

Members of the Buckingham County Board of Supervisors voted in August to accept a bid of approximately $5 million from Jamerson Lewis Construction Inc. to renovate the old Dillwyn Primary School building at the intersection of U.S. Routes 15 and 20.

Buckingham County Administrator Rebecca Carter stated that the renovations are beginning with the removal of asbestos from the old building. The permit for removing the asbestos was issued Sept. 25.

Carter stated that construction on the center will begin once the asbestos removal is complete. She added that the center’s construction has a projected completion date of February 2020. The building is anticipated to be approximately 33,000 square feet in size.

“The library and community center will benefit the county in many ways,” Carter said. “The Library will be able to provide much better service to the citizens. The community center will have recreational programs such as the senior citizens program, and other recreational activities. It will also give the recreation department more space to implement new programs.”

Carter explained that a portion of the library complex will be dedicated as a children’s section. She also noted that the community center will have a large room and commercial kitchen where citizens can have catered meetings, wedding receptions and other local events.

The construction of the building will be a historic experience, as the finished project will be Buckingham County’s first community center.

“This all began when seeking to find the most cost effective way to utilize that building for something to benefit all of the citizens,” Carter said. “The Library Board has been requesting a new library for at least 10 years.”