The Trustees of the Library and the Library Building Committee are currently working on a plan to repair and do some limited renovations to the library building.
The library received a $9.4 million grant in the summer of 2022 from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners to renovate and expand the library on its existing site, but the project was defeated by Town Meeting later that fall. There are still significant issues that need to be addressed in the beautiful but aging historical building. The original library building was built in 1908, and expanded to its current configuration in 1980. There are numerous code violations and problems with mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems that need to be addressed.
In March 2023, Town Meeting approved funding for the Library Building Committee to undertake a study to determine the repairs that are needed. Work began in July 2023, and the pages linked here include recommendations from the consultants, documentation of the scope of repairs and space reallocation, a timeline for the project, and financial data.
In March 2024, Town Meeting approved funding for detailed design work (called “Design Development” in construction terminology). Once the detailed designs are completed, the design team will create Construction Documents – the blueprints and documentation that is needed to build a building. Those documents become the basis for bid documents. Bids are expected to be announced around December 2024/January 2025, and will be due and opened in time for the March 2025 Town Meeting. If approved, the construction work would begin soon afterward.
The Library Building Committee typically meets the last Tuesday of the month at 3:30 pm via Zoom. The meetings are open, public meetings. Agendas are posted on the Town calendar and on the Repair Project Updates page.
Please read the documents and learn about the important work ahead. Printed copies are available by request from the Library Director, Maureen Amyot. Please contact her anytime with questions.
The chart below reflects the proposed timeline for the Library Repair Project. Town input will be obtained in September 2023, February/March 2024 and February/March 2025 depending on Town Meeting dates.
