The much hoped for library for Union Square faced a setback as the city declined a matching grant earmarked for construction costs.

By Haley ED Houseman

At the end of June, the city announced that the Somerville will be passing on a $18 million grant that underpinned hopes for a plan for a library presence in Union Square. According to Dann DeMaina, the Media Manager for the city, Somerville applied for the grant from Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners’ (MBLC) MPL Construction Program in January 2012, although discussions about this proposal began even earlier. Initially the city was placed on a waiting list, and received notification of the provisional award in 2014. After a series of planning discussions, it was determined that the timeline designated in the grant application could not be met by the city, and the city declined to match it.

City departments that were involved in the bid included the libraries, Capital Projects, as well as the Board of Aldermen and the Library Board of Trustees. In November 2012, the Library’s blog shared the plans for the theoretical construction of a new library in Union Square, which would have been supported by the bid. Media manager DeMaina notes, “This proposal was incredibly complex due to the nature of the project—a multi-floor, multi-use, multi-component building in the center of Union Square.” In addition to the usual process of submitting the proposal, the bid also included in-depth architectural drawings and schematics, a complete breakdown of all associated costs (construction in particular), structural assessment, and site plans.

Speaking to Glenn Ferdmann, Director of Libraries, he noted, “When the association offered the grant, it didn’t align with the development preparations for Union Square and the particular space that allocated for the library. It was a fairly short window for us to turn around, and we felt that wouldn’t be able to get everything done in order to get everything ready to accept the funds, which is why we ultimately and respectful declined to accept it.” While the MBLC could not hold the funds once the city passed on matching the grant, they have indicated that Somerville would be a strong applicant in for a new grant in the 2017 fiscal year.

Mark Niedergang, alderman for Ward 5, notes that the circumstances and needs of the community are “serious questions” that he is glad were taken into consideration with the grant. In the years since the bid was submitted, “things have evolved and changed. I’m glad they have the flexibility to acknowledge this and adapt the plans accordingly.”

The city is developing a neighborhood plan for Union Square that may include some type of library presence. In the meantime, the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development is leading the planning process for Union Square to collect input on what the community would like to see in the area, so there’s no guarantee that there will be a library in that location. The library, in association with Capital Projects and the city, is about to begin a “visioning process” for the library as a whole that will look its spaces and services in a systematic way.

The library is set to undergo a variety of renovations in the coming years, regardless of any new constructions. There has been work to develop several schematic designs for a possible West Branch renovation, pending submission to the Board of Aldermen. Increasing access is a focus of the plans, as the building is not currently handicap accessible. The next community meeting is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the TAB building. There are funds earmarked in this year’s capital budget to start a similar process to repair, upgrade and renovate the East Branch library, but there’s no timeline yet for that project.

Alderman Niedergang, for one, is thrilled by the upcoming renovations of library branches. “The west branch should have been done a long time ago.” Adds Niedergang, “The renovations are long overdue.” The alderman would like to see more investment in the library system in broad terms; he is quick to point out that planning must take into account what the community needs, not just new buildings. “Personally, I really like the idea of a mixed-use space for the library. I’m not sure what it would look like, but it’s a great direction. I would love to see a branch downtown.”