Library trustees seek $1.18M for final design of $15.6M library repair and code upgrades

The Westborough town meeting approved borrowing $1,178,632 to fund the final design and bidding phase of a proposed $15.6 million renovation of the public library. The Library Building Committee and trustees said the project focuses first on essential maintenance—roofs, HVAC systems and code‑compliance fixes—and includes some program improvements, such as a dedicated teen room and updated meeting‑room digital systems.

Trustee and building‑committee chair Ed Baldwin said the schematic design estimated construction and soft costs at $15.6 million and that the design funding will allow the town to perform value engineering and issue a firm construction bid for a March 2025 vote on construction. The committee emphasized that deferred maintenance (including a recent fan‑coil fire incident) and recurring failures justified advancing to construction design now.

Finance committee and select board members reported their support and presented an initial estimate of potential borrowing costs and the annual impact on the average single‑family tax bill. Voters authorized the borrowing by the two‑thirds margin required for debt articles (333‑59).

The trustees said they will pursue fundraising and grant opportunities to reduce the eventual construction cost and plan to return to town meeting with a final construction appropriation after competitive bids are received.

Sources: Library Building Committee presentation (Ed Baldwin), finance committee analysis.