Press Release
Dorchester County Government held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Oakbrook Library on the Ashely River on Thursday, August 18th. Elected officials, community leaders, and the public came together to celebrate the future library that will be located at 2830 Bacons Bridge Road in Summerville.
Oakbrook is the County's fastest growing area and, as a result, is one of council's priorities for revitalization and redevelopment. The significant increase in population and the expansion of businesses clearly established a need for a library to be located within the Oakbrook community. With the community's support from the 2019 bond referendum, funding was secured for this state-of-the-art, 20,000 square foot facility. This new library will provide traditional and innovative library services that will meet the evolving needs and expectations of our residents
The groundbreaking ceremony included a welcome address by Dorchester County Council Chair Bill Hearn who said, “Today, we not only celebrate the construction of our new library; we also celebrate a larger effort to invest in our community so that our county will continue to thrive and prosper.”
Participants also heard from Dorchester County Library Executive Director Robert Antill and County Council Vice Chair Jay Byars. During his remarks, Vice Chair Byars shared his appreciation for everyone who was involved in making this vision a reality. He also included a special thank you to the citizens of Dorchester County for voting in favor of the library referendum in 2019. He expressed his excitement that residents will soon be able to seamlessly visit the Ashley River Park and the new library, and he ended with Cicero's famous quote, “If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”
The Dorchester County Oakbrook Library on the Ashley River is planned to be completed by fall of 2023.
