Overview:
The designs for a new library at 38 Avenue A in Turners Falls have been approved by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, marking an important milestone in the project. The new building will include an adult book collection, local history room, reading room, private study spaces, a community room, teen room, art gallery and a rooftop terrace. The project has been in the works for decades, and the town secured a $100,000 grant for design and planning in January 2025.
MONTAGUE — A year after the Montague Public Libraries received funding to join the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program and begin planning for a new or renovated building in Turners Falls, designs for a new library were approved by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) earlier this month.
The designs, created by architecture and design firm Schwartz/Silver, were submitted to the MBLC late last year. Montague Public Libraries Director Caitlin Kelley explained on Wednesday that the state provided positive feedback on the way the facade blends in with the surrounding downtown infrastructure and that the moveable library furnishings are being used effectively. She said the only change the state recommended was to add two half-window walls in the second-floor children’s section for sight-line improvements.
“Not only will we be able to very easily make the change,” Kelley said about the design revisions, “that actually ended up getting us a little bit more room for books for teens, so that ends up being a win-win.”
Over the summer, the library trustees and the Library Building Steering Committee both agreed to move forward with building a new library at 38 Avenue A. A new building at the 38 Avenue A site was one of two options considered, with the other option being to renovate the existing Carnegie Public Library at 201 Avenue A. In public meetings to gather feedback, accessibility, a design that complements the surrounding downtown and community space were some of the main areas of focus.
The effort has been an ongoing process for decades, with the town securing a $100,000 grant for design and planning in January 2025. This grant covered 50% of the designs, and $150,000 was allocated by Town Meeting voters to cover the rest.
With state approval of the designs in hand, Kelley said the project is still progressing, and Schwartz/Silver has started working with a cost estimator to get an idea of what the price of construction will be. The estimators look at the “base” design for a cost estimate, then at alternate designs that include additional features such as a solar array or options for different heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) setups.
Once the costs are established, the Library Building Steering Committee will meet to discuss what to add to the base design, and the owner’s project manager, Downes Construction, will estimate what portion of the project the MBLC will cover. The state will then verify what it will pay for. Kelley said she anticipates the state will cover around 60%.
In March, the Library Building Steering Committee will hold an informational meeting to showcase what the tax implications will be for residents. Then, at Annual Town Meeting, an article to appropriate the project cost will be brought to voters. The article will need a two-thirds majority to pass.
According to the designs available on the Montague Public Libraries website, the ground-level floor of the library will be an 11,092-square-foot space with the adult book collection, local history room, a reading room and private study spaces. On the second floor, the 9,687-square-foot space will include the community room, teen room, an art gallery and a rooftop terrace on the Second Street side of the building.
Kelley explained that members of the Steering Committee and library trustees have remained cognizant of the price associated with the new building.
“While I am really excited about our designs, and I know that they will actually meet the needs of the community, we also know that people have financial needs,” Kelley explained.
These considerations have been added to the library project’s Frequently Asked Questions page. These considerations included opting to build a new library rather than renovating the Carnegie Public Library, saving $5 million. The design also omits a basement for the new building, saving the project $2 million, and keeps storage space incorporated into the design of the ground-level and upper floors. Other cost-saving measures include keeping the building height lower, using steel over timber for construction, and opting for an air-to-water heat pump system that keeps funding from the Green Library Incentive on the table, but without the price tag of a geothermal system.
Kelley said that with these designs in hand, the progress toward a new library has felt even more real.
“It’s been really nice to dream about a space that is accessible, and that would be state of the art,” she said, noting that the new HVAC system would keep the building pipes from freezing, as was a problem at the Carnegie Public Library amid Wednesday’s low temperatures. “It’s just been really wonderful to see our dreams turned into a visual, and then it makes it feel that much more real.”
To review the designs for the new 38 Avenue A library, visit tinyurl.com/dbfns6hj.