The City of Round Rock celebrated the completion of its latest project in Downtown Round Rock with a ribbon cutting at the Griffith Building on Thursday, Jan. 29.
The reopening of the former library building at 216 E. Main Street marked a significant milestone in Round Rock’s continued investment in its downtown core. The building is maintaining its public use as a multi-purpose civic space that brings together arts, visitor services and economic development.
“This project reflects the kind of intentional progress we’ve stayed focused on in Downtown Round Rock,” said Mayor Craig Morgan. “By maintaining this as a public facility, we’re able to bring together functions that serve our visitors, businesses and residents in a way that fits naturally in the heart of downtown.”
The Griffith Building, which was previously named in honor of long-time library supports and community leaders Robert and Helen Griffith, has a long history of serving the community. Over the decades, it has housed a fire station, an auto shop, City Hall offices and most notably the Round Rock Public Library, which occupied the building for decades before moving to its new facility in 2023. With the library’s relocation, the City had the opportunity to repurpose one of downtown’s most recognizable civic buildings for its next chapter.
Designed by McKinney York Architects and built by Braun & Butler Construction, the renovated 44,000-square-foot building now houses the City Arts Center and the Round Rock Visitors Center on the first floor, and the Round Rock Chamber on the second floor. A portion of the building on the north side is currently vacant and anticipated to be used for City office flex space in the near future.
The Griffith Building’s reopening also coincides with the completion of a new downtown paseo, a pedestrian connection linking between Prete Plaza and the Round Rock Public Library. To make room for it, the Palm House building was relocated in 2024 from its downtown site on East Main Street to the Old Settlers Association grounds, near where it was originally built in 1873.
The ribbon cutting was open to the public and followed by an arts reception with live music and light refreshments.
Hours of operation are:
- Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Extended hours on Wednesday nights (10 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
- Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To learn more about Downtown Round Rock, visit www.downtownroundrocktexas.com.
