ROWE — With bids for Rowe Town Library renovations and expansion due back on April 29, the Library Feasibility Committee plans to review the bids at its next meeting on Friday, May 1, ahead of an Annual Town Meeting vote on the project on May 11.
The last time that the Zoar Road library had a major renovation was in the 1970s, when the children’s room was added. Minor updates have been made over the years, including installing new heating systems just prior to the pandemic, but the library, built in the 1930s, is overdue for some key upgrades, Rowe Town Library Director Molly Lane has said.
Part of this proposed renovation project includes creating a patio and adding additional parking. Lane said that in the committee’s messaging to the public, members need to “push that this space is for the community.” Currently, there are just a few parking spots and no outdoor space at the Rowe Town Library. The Library Feasibility Committee is also planning on installing a garden outside, as well as creating more indoor reading spaces.
Committee members discussed on Friday how to keep residents informed about the renovation plans through information sessions and a mailer that is being designed. The info sessions are planned for Saturday, April 25, at 10 a.m. and Wednesday, April 29, at 6 p.m., both at the Rowe Town Library at 318 Zoar Road. At the Saturday morning open house, coffee and doughnuts will be served, while at the Wednesday evening session, pizza and refreshments will be available.
Voters at the May 2025 Annual Town Meeting approved using $175,000 from the Capital Stabilization Fund to plan renovations at the library to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. That allocation built on the feasibility study that voters had approved spending $50,000 on the year before to determine what improvements would need to be made to the building.
One piece of information that the Library Feasibility Committee has been trying to communicate to the public is that the library needs to meet ADA standards, which necessitate some changes, including spreading out the shelves to create bigger aisles and upgrading the bathrooms to have more space.
According to Lane, no money has been allotted for the construction phase of the work, but the engineers estimate, based on their final construction drawings, that the project would cost about $1.8 million. Lane clarified that the dollar amount on the Town Meeting warrant will be finalized after the bids are received on April 29.
If the warrant article for the library renovation and expansion is approved at Annual Town Meeting, construction would begin in June and continue until around April 2027.
Annual Town Meeting is set for Monday, May 11, at 6:30 p.m. at Rowe Elementary School.
