Chesapeake – South Norfolk Branch Library

A neighborhood institution along Pointdexter Street for over 50 years, the new Chesapeake Public Library in South Norfolk will serve as a community icon and anchor for neighborhood revitalization. The new library is located just steps away from the old library, as a tenant in the Gateway Building, a mixed use building providing a template for new urbanistic development throughout South Norfolk.

Engaging public spaces, bold exterior signage, and modern designs allow this new space to answer the needs of the public while providing a contemporary environment to foster learning to the neighborhood. The new library provides extensive book browsing areas with self-checkout areas, a multitude of computer access areas, meeting rooms, the South Norfolk history room, and even a full service café. Warm color tones and natural accents invite you deeper into the library with the promise of comfortable seating and the intimacy of the fireplace. The library boasts private bar height seating with Wi-Fi access in various locations around the perimeter of the first floor; coupled with study tables the new library provides space for work, study, and interaction. The children’s areas located on the second floor rounds out the library experience with open functional spaces that provide visual connection to the main library through an open stair and glass elevator enclosure. An HBA community project in its truest form, this 17,341 square foot state-of-the-art library is designed around the collective needs of citizens, civic groups, neighborhoods, associations, and city-wide agencies.