Calling on the state of Massachusetts to once again be a "library champion," the Amherst Town Council is appealing for more money to help fund its "once-in-a-generation" Jones Library expansion and renovation project.
Councilors agreed Oct. 10 to send a letter to state officials asking that they distribute American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the library, which has seen its construction costs jump significantly in recent weeks.
Cost increases also have been a problem for 11 other town libraries being expanded, renovated or replaced across the state, including those in the nearby communities of Deerfield and Orange, the Amherst Bulletin reported.
"We know you have been a library champion in the past," read the letter, signed by Council President Lynn Griesemer, and endorsed by her colleagues at the Oct. 10 meeting. "This grant is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our community to have the improved library facility and services it needs, wants and deserves, for at least the next 50 years.
"We ask that you be a library champion again and do all you can to provide additional ARPA funds to Amherst and the other 11 municipalities. Please help us make our library the true community hub it has the potential to be."
The council voted 10-1 in favor of the contents of the letter, with two councilors abstaining from the vote.
One concern came from District 3 Councilor Dorothy Pam, who asked whether ARPA money might be sought for projects being funded through the Massachusetts School Building Authority, including Amherst's planned elementary school project that would replace both the Fort River and Wildwood elementary schools.
Griesemer said that effort is being considered, though school buildings receive their funding through a different pot of money based on the state sales tax.
Library Could Cost $10M More Than Expected
The request comes as concerns arise over whether the $13.87 million grant awarded to Amherst by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners will be sufficient for what had been projected as a $36.3 million expansion and renovation of the Jones Library. Recent estimates have shown that cost could be $10 million or more higher, the Bulletin reported.
Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ronald Mariano, as well as Amherst's legislative delegation, Rep. Mindy Domb, and Sen. Jo Comerford, also are expected to receive the letter.
It spells out challenges specific to Amherst, including the town's four major capital projects. Besides the Jones Library, the others include the new elementary school, new headquarters for both Department of Public Works and the fire station, as well as the costs of inflation and supply chain issues that affect all communities.
The appeal for ARPA funding also noted the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP) grants handed out $96.3 million for projects initially estimated to be $235.5 million but have since gone up by 37 percent, to $323.2 million.
"To say we're experiencing sticker shock is an understatement," the Amherst letter reads. "The MPLCP funding has gone from providing our towns with 41 percent of the total project costs down to 30 percent."
Already, a request was sent by the affected communities to the Baker-Polito administration asking to include an added $87.7 million of ARPA money earmarked for library construction projects in the supplemental budget now being created. That would bridge the cost gap created by the pandemic.
Amherst Could Get An Answer Soon
Jones Library Director Sharon Sharry told trustees at a meeting in late September that libraries should know by Thanksgiving whether more state support will come their way. She said people who support the project should advocate on behalf of libraries in any way they can.
Should the renovation and expansion project not move forward in Amherst, the Bulletin added, the town would still have to do work on the building, including making it more accessible, repairing the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems and atrium roof, and do upgrades to other mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.
Those efforts would cost Amherst between $14.4 and $16.8 million, according to estimates provided two years ago by a town consultant.
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