AUSTIN (KXAN) — Over budget and behind schedule, Austin’s new Central Library finally has a grand opening date.
The city says the collection of books from the Faulk Central Library are currently getting packed up to be ready for their move to the new library located at 710 W. Cesar Chavez St. The grand opening date is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 28 at 10 a.m.
Starting Monday, Aug. 14 and continuing through mid-September, customers will have limited access to the books at Faulk Central Library. Customers will only be able to access the 1st and 2nd floors of the collection, pick up holds and use the public computers/WiFi. The entire 3rd floor will not be accessible until everything is moved over to the new Central Library.
The entire Faulk location will close Saturday, Sept. 16.
With a price tag that ended up at $125 million, the new downtown library was originally scheduled to open in November of 2016. The Central Library Project started as a $90 million bond in 2006. Seven years later, city council approved $30 million more. In 2016, another $5 million was approved to finish the project.
The library will cost roughly $11 million to maintain year-round. Officials say not all of that money will come from taxpayers. They will charge for underground parking, a cafe that will help pay the buildings rent, an event center people will pay to use, and about a dozen weddings are already scheduled for the rooftop garden.


