By a split 4-3 vote, the Falls Church City Council gave a “first reading” preliminary approval to a $10.9 million project to renovate and expand the Mary Riley Styles Public Library, needed to bring it into compliance with the Americans for Disabilities Act (ADA) and provide significant system modernization and community space increases. The vote on final approval for the plan is scheduled for Feb. 10.     

The price tag is based on a “guaranteed maximum price” negotiated by the City with the selected construction contractor last week was $7.8 million and “soft” costs, including the temporary relocation of the library to vacant trailer classrooms at the Thomas Jefferson Elementary, brought the total to $10.9 million. The City having bonded for the $8.3 million for the project approved by City voters in 2016, the difference of $2.3 million will come from the City’s substantial budget surplus of $4.1 million, according to the vote Monday night.