Project Benefits and Compatibility
4. Project Benefits and Compatibility 4a.
Identify who will benefit from the project, how they will benefit, and how the project will benefit the overall community, region, or state. This project will benefit the residents of the City of Williamsburg, patrons of the Williamsburg Regional Library, residents of the Historic Triangle, and visitors to Williamsburg. The proposed Stryker Center will replace the aged and obsolete Stryker Building, which suffers from structural damage, outdated building systems, and indoor air conditions that promote the growth and spread of mold spores. There is currently a shortage of meeting spaces in the City for use by citizens and community groups, and the adjacent Williamsburg Regional Library is in need of expanded space for reading/gathering, special programs, arts and information exchange. The proposed building will provide for expanded meeting space for the City Council, the Planning Commission and other City committees, and is designed to be more accessible to citizens attending meetings and those watching meetings via the City’s broadcast network. Audio-visual technology is included in the building to permit better interaction between the citizens and their elected/appointed officials, and provisions are included for access by individuals with disabilities. The building provides five meeting/conference spaces for citizens, community groups, neighborhood committees and non-profit groups to meet. The meeting spaces vary in capacity from 16 to 104, to accommodate multiple types and sizes of groups. The central location of library services staff is designed to provide easy access to all meeting spaces by City resident groups and non-profits. These spaces will complement the adjacent library’s 268-seat theater. In addition to serving as a grand entrance to the building and as a gathering space for public meetings, the Stryker Center gallery space will serve other important functions. The space has the capacity to add vibrancy to City Square through arts and culture, building on the City’s brand as a hub for such activity. On an ongoing basis the Williamsburg Regional Library could easily program traveling exhibits it currently has to forgo due to lack of appropriate space. Institutions that regularly offer such exhibits include the Library of Virginia, Virginia Historical Society, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Virginia Museum of Natural History, Virginia Living Museum, Virginia Air & Space Center, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation. Such exhibits are high-quality, engaging, and lend themselves to additional topical programming the library would host in the Stryker Center’s meeting rooms. On an episodic basis the Stryker Center’s gallery space would serve as a venue for annual community and visitor gatherings. Events such as An Occasion for the Arts, First Night, and Arts Month would easily occupy the gallery space with compelling, creative activities including special exhibits and performances. Along with the Community Building and the existing library,
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