Atherton residents gathered Saturday, Dec. 11, for the ribbon cutting to celebrate a long-awaited addition to the town: a new library and civic center partially funded by donations as well as the town's general fund.

Residents toured the nearly 30,000-square-foot renovated City Hall building between Fair Oaks and Dinkelspiel Station lanes on Saturday, after opening remarks from outgoing Mayor Elizabeth Lewis and councilmen Bill Widmer and Rick DeGolia. Then officials cut a ceremonial ribbon using giant gold scissors to commemorate the opening of the facility.

The project, in the works for about 20 years, took "money, time, talent and tenacity" to complete, City Manager George Rodericks said. Staff moved into the new building in late October.

"This has been a long time coming — almost 100 years," Lewis joked. "At least that's how I feel."

Widmer and DeGolia said the new building, which took two years to build, will help attract and retain town staff members.

The new $19.1 million, 10,000-square-foot library, located across the way from the administrative building on Dinkelspiel Station Lane, is set to open in February, Rodericks said.

History of the project

In 2012, after years of discussion about constructing a new civic center, Atherton voters elected to replace the old buildings and pay for the new civic center with donations.

In 2017, 61% of Atherton voters passed an advisory measure to allow money from the town's general fund to be used to help pay for the center.

The nonprofit Atherton Now raised about $5.2 million toward the project's design and construction, according to Rodericks. Residents contributed an additional $2.1 million directly to the construction. Remaining funds came from the town's general fund and fund reserves. In 2020, the town issued about $7 million in certificates of participation (COPs) to address cash flow, which are set to be paid off in 2025, he said.

Atherton's original 1,696-square-foot Town Hall opened in 1924, according to the town's website.