Vote on New Seekonk Library Set for October 24

A special town meeting will be held on Monday, October 24 for the sole purpose of voting on a proposed $24 Million Seekonk Public Library building project.

The new building would replace the current 14,880 square foot facility at 410 Newman Avenue.

According to Tappe Architects: “The proposed new Seekonk Public Library will be a 23,000 square foot building designed to meet the current and future needs of the community. More than just books, the library will provide community programming such as local business assistance, job seeker help, senior services, events, and a gallery. With the onset of COVID-19, the mechanical systems will provide state of the art air filtering and handling, and the furniture and fixtures will be agile to adapt to any arrangement necessary.”

A second floor patio will provide an overlook of the adjacent Seekonk Meadows Park.

A schematic design tour can be viewed on the firm’s website: Seekonk Public Library – Tappé Architects (tappe.com)

Last July, the Library had been awarded a $7.3 million grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners for the construction of a new building.

Michael Durkay, chairman of the Library Board of Trustees, said the grant was “provisional”, which means the voters need to approve the grant at a special election to be held before January 9, 2023.

According to the Trustees, the grant pays for 30 percent of the total project costs. The Library Trust has pledged to raise an additional $1 million to further offset costs. The public will be asked to approve $17.2 million in public funding – which amounts to an average of $124.18 per year or $2.39 a week.

The full amount of the bond will be determined at the meeting and the subsequent ballot vote.

In a discussion last month with the Board of Selectmen, Durkay noted repairs to the existing building would cost approximately $3 million, which includes a new roof/HVAC improvements, the replacement of exterior siding, window and door replacement, public/staff restroom upgrade, an ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) compliance upgrade, and an upgrade of fire suppression/security systems.

A cheaper option would be a renovation of the library at a cost of $12.4 million. The staff would be required to relocate to a temporary facility during the construction phase.

The Trustees also noted: “The structural issues at the Library underscore the need for a new building as do the programming space constraints the Library has been grappling with for years.”

A complete list of problems with the library are outlined as follows at https://seekonk.buildournewlibrary.org/

• The building’s HVAC system is well beyond its years of expected use and has been patched together over the years to accommodate increased need
• Because of the Library’s unstable foundation, the outside shingles have splintered, windows and doors have shifted leading to leaks and roof-based drainage problems
• Lack of space to facilitate quiet conversations between staff and patrons
• Crowded stacks and seating that make patron access to collections difficult
• Not enough space for the Library’s 82,000 item collection to be available for browsing and borrowing
• A Children’s Room that does not accommodate story time or other children’s programming
• Lack of space to introduce new technology
• The Library’s two restrooms are overused and don’t meet the needs of parents and caregivers

The meeting will begin at 7 pm at Seekonk High School, 261 Arcade Avenue.