Hanover County leaders wielded white hardhats and golden shovels to break ground on the future Montpelier Recreation Center and Library. The April 14 ceremony attracted a large crowd thrilled about the facility planned for the western part of the County.
“This is going to be a magnificent and awesome facility — a resource that truly reflects the wants and needs of our community,” said South Anna District Supervisor Susan P. Dibble who championed the project.
The Montpelier Recreation Center and Library will be a hub for residents to gather and enjoy an expanded branch of the Pamunkey Regional Library, classroom space and a full-size gymnasium with a large stage. The 20,000-square-foot facility will be the County’s first purpose-built indoor recreation center.
The new library will replace the existing branch located within the Montpelier Center for Arts and Education. It will be four times larger and offer meeting rooms and additional classroom space for Parks & Recreation programs.
The gymnasium will accommodate sports and fitness classes with a stage that can be used for public performances. The project also includes a reconstruction of Wickham field with lighting and new restrooms to support youth baseball and softball.
The project had been a labor of love for Dibble and her predecessor as South Anna District’s representative on the Board, Wayne T. Hazzard. The key player not present at Friday’s ceremony was the late Aubrey M. Stanley Jr., a longtime Beaverdam District Supervisor who passed away in December 2021.
“I believe Bucky and Ellen Stanley are celebrating with us,” said Board Chair W. Canova Peterson. “I know they’re just as happy as the rest of us are here today to see this coming to fruition.”
The Montpelier Recreation Center and Library will continue the tradition of public recreation and social engagement enjoyed at the site for decades. Construction is anticipated to take 18 months.
“I’m very excited about this project,” said Dibble. “I think it will be a great amenity for the citizens of western Hanover and I am looking forward to it opening next year.”
To see the full ceremony, click here.