FALMOUTH — Trustees of Falmouth Memorial Library have issued a request for proposals from architects for the library expansion project.

The board had planned to issue an RFP for construction management, too, but opted to postpone that until an architect has been hired.

Board member Kevin Browne, co-chairman of the library design committee, said three firms are expected to submit bids. One was Scott Simons Architects, who did the initial work on the expansion and renovation project. Browne said the other two are from the Boston area.

“Basically we’re going to get the proposals back, I believe, the week after next, then we’ll review and interview in the last week of February,” he said.

Browne said this RFP is for “continuing design services” for the final design for the library expansion, now that borrowing for the project has been OK’d.

Renovating and expanding the library will cost approximately $5.6 million, with up to $2.8 million financed by a town-issued bond that voters overwhelmingly approved last November.

A pre-proposal meeting for the RFP was held at the library on Jan. 22, and all proposals are due back no later than Feb. 12. Browne said anyone interested in biding had to be at the meeting, but because there were only three interested firms, if another bid came in it wouldn’t be excluded.

Browne said originally the board intended to “intertwine” the architecture RFP with one for construction management, but ultimately decided it would be better “not to rush it” and wait until after an architect is hired.

He said the construction RFP would probably be issued in March, about a month after an architect is hired.

Colin Ellis can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 123 or cellis@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @colinoellis.

Copy the Story Link