Santa Rosa has selected a contractor to design and build a permanent home for the Roseland Library and other community amenities, marking a significant milestone for the long-awaited project.

The civic complex, known as the Hearn Community Hub, is planned on a 6-acre plot at the intersection of Hearn and Dutton avenues that the city purchased in early 2022.

A new fire station is also planned for the site and a future phase calls for the creation of a recreation center to serve Roseland and the rapidly growing community of southwest Santa Rosa.

The City Council on Tuesday awarded a $33 million contract to Swinerton Builders of Sacramento to design and build the first phase of the project.

“We are really excited that this project is finally coming to fruition,” said Sonoma County Library Director Erica Thibault. “This has been a long time coming. This has been a long process and it’s wonderful to see that we are all working together – the library, the fire department and the City of Santa Rosa – to make this happen for the community.

In May, demolition crews demolished three homes, several smaller outbuildings and fences on the property, clearing the way for redevelopment.

Construction of the library and fire station is expected to begin in fall 2025 and be completed in spring 2027.

Council member Eddie Alvarez applauded the city’s efforts Tuesday and said it was a step toward realizing long-promised public investments in the predominantly Latino neighborhood that was incorporated into the city ​​limits in 2017.

The total project cost for the first phase, including site acquisition, demolition, design and construction, is $48.2 million, according to city records.

The project is funded by a mix of local, state and federal dollars, including $10 million each from the city’s share of the American Rescue Plan Act and PG&E wildfire settlement funds, nearly $11 million dollars from the Sonoma County Library and $3 million from the city public. security tax. California Senate President Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, got $5 million each for the fire station and library in the state budgetand former Assemblyman Marc Levine secured $1 million each during his time in the Legislature.

The project is located just west of where work is underway to build a new bridge over Highway 101 at Hearn Avenue to improve congestion and safety as hundreds of homes go up and more are planned along Santa Rosa Avenue and southwest Santa Rosa.

The expanded bridge will facilitate the passage of emergency vehicles and the project will eventually connect to a planned multi-use pathway along Hearn Avenue, improving access to the SMART Trail and community hub.

What is planned

Plans call for a 9,915-square-foot fire station fronting Hearn Avenue that will replace the small, aging Fire Station 8 on Burbank Avenue, just south of Sebastopol Road.

Fire operations, sleeping quarters, a kitchen and other living spaces are on the first floor, adjacent to the apparatus bay.

The fire station could potentially include space for a conference room and multi-purpose spaces to accommodate emergency operations above the fire station, according to city documents.

Dan Hennessey, Santa Rosa Transportation and Public Works director, said the fire station’s design meets the department’s response needs and the daily needs of the firefighters stationed there.

The fact that the new station will be located farther south, closer to Highway 101 and growing residential neighborhoods, has been discussed by firefighters since they took over the existing station from the longtime volunteer company from Roseland.

Fire Chief Scott Wetrope said the department is looking forward to construction after a lengthy planning process.

“The Santa Rosa Fire Department is excited to move on to the next phase of the new fire station that will better serve the city and our Roseland area,” he said in a written statement. “Providing enhanced services to southwest Santa Rosa has been a strategic goal for many years and we look forward to the fire station.”

A 10,315 square foot library is planned behind the fire station, separated by two parking lots and a green space.

Thibault, the library director, said the selection committee and library officials felt Swinerton’s design provided the flexibility to meet the library’s needs and “embodied what we think a library should be.” of the 21st century should look like.

The library will include meeting rooms and a makerspace, among other amenities.

Outside, children will be able to play in what Thibault described as a demonstration garden, and the library will be able to host shows like story time in a small amphitheater. There will also be space to host outdoor markets and allow the library to expand its programming outdoors, she said.