FALMOUTH — With a pared-down design approved by the Planning Board last week, Falmouth Memorial Library is preparing to go out to bid on a long-planned expansion project.
The library, which is still short of its fundraising goal, received another boost this week in the form of a $100,000 matching grant from an anonymous donor.
The grant is designed to put the library over the top as it works to bring in an additional $500,000 needed to see the renovation and expansion project to completion.
The library has until Jan. 31 to raise the remaining funds, and this week Steven Knapp, president of the board, said the matching grant “comes at a critical juncture.”
He said between now and the end of the month every dollar raised would be matched up to $100,000.
As of Jan. 12, the library was $195,000 short, he said.
“Our board of trustees would like to thank this incredibly generous donor and all the individuals and businesses who have contributed to this campaign to date,” Knapp added. “Donations and pledges are appreciated at all levels.”
Voters initially agreed to pay half the cost of a new $5.6 million library five years ago, if the organization could raise the other half. But last summer library leaders learned they would need at least $1 million more because of higher-than-expected construction costs.
Last November, voters supported another library bond and agreed to borrow $500,000 more if the library could raise the other half of the additional amount required to enlarge the library to 18,000 square feet.
The goal is to provide separate adult, youth and teen areas, along with quiet reading spaces and study rooms and access to updated technology.
At the Jan. 8 Planning Board meeting, project architect Scott Simons said despite the design changes he made to trim construction costs, he was still able to keep some “key components and efficiencies” that “greatly enhance” various aspects of library programming.
Kate Irish Collins can be reached at 780-9097 or kcollins@theforecaster.net. Follow Kate on Twitter: @KIrishCollins.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.