By David Porter

Construction on the long-anticipated and often-disputed Jones Library renovation and expansion project is expected to begin in a little more than six weeks, the town said in a news release Monday. 

Fontaine Brothers of Springfield, which submitted the low bid for the project last November, has signed a construction contract with the town and received a permit from the Building Department for the demolition portion of the project, which is expected to begin in mid-June, according to the town. The next step would be an application for the full building permit.

According to the town, 87 percent of the funding for the $46.1 million project – a figure that includes $3.0 million in available project contingencies – has been secured. The total financing includes:

• $15.8 million committed by the Town of Amherst.
• A $1.0 million grant from the Amherst Community Preservation Act.
• $15.6 million in grants from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. About $2.77 million has been received by the town, and two payments of about $5.5 million in total are expected by June 30, according to the town.
• $13.7 million to be raised by the Jones Library Capital Campaign conducted by the Friends of the Jones Library System, Inc. The Capital Campaign has remitted $1.6 million to the Town to date. Additional commitments include:
  • A $1.0 million gift from Amherst College
  • A $1.0 million grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
  • A $1.1 million grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development Economic Development Initiative program

According to the news release, the town has initiated other important steps to move the project forward, including identifying a temporary location for library services during construction and updating the invitation for bids for the services of a moving company. 

The original Jones Library building was built in 1928. The project’s plans include rehabilitating the original building, removing a three-story rear addition that was built in 1993, and building a new three-story rear addition. 

Among the goals are upgrading the building to meet current library standards, addressing safety and accessibility concerns, improving spaces for children, teens, ESL and special collections, and improving energy efficiency by eliminating the use of fossil fuels. 

Planning for the addition and renovation of the library has been going on for well over a decade. In a referendum three years ago, about 65 percent of voters supported the library project, according to the town. 

Opponents have decried the cost of the project and questioned whether it is necessary at all, and have many times taken action to try to halt the project. In December, a group filed a claim with the state Inspector General’s Office that accused the project’s backers of fraud and abuse; and, more recently, a town resident filed a bid protest on April 15th to contest the Fontaine Brother bid and prevent the project from moving forward. The Attorney General’s office determined on April 24th that the bid protest did not warrant a hearing. 

The bid protest was filed one day after the Town Council reaffirmed its commitment to the project by rejecting an effort to rescind the debt authorization for the project, a move that effectively would’ve scrapped the project had it passed. 

Future updates about library services during construction can be found on the Jones Library website.

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Read more coverage about the Jones Library Building Project on The Amherst Current.

Read more about the fundraising for the project on The Jones Library Capital Campaign website.