With $8M 'Pot Of Gold,' Melrose Library May Finally Be Renovated

MELROSE, MA — The Melrose Public Library is in position to finally undergo much-needed updates after the city was awarded a nearly $8 million state grant toward the renovation of the historic building.

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners announced Thursday that Melrose was awarded a provision construction grant of $7,993,290, with an additional $279,765 available if the library is energy efficient.

Melrose accepting the award is contingent on securing matching funds by Jan. 10 — the exact amount of which is unknown as the city seeks funding sources, a City Hall spokesperson said. The project still needs City Council approval.

The grant would help the city renovate the aging library and create an addition, helping "preserve the historic 1903 Carnegie façade, while addressing health and safety, accessibility, and space needs," according to a city press release.

That means a fully accessible front entrance, a room dedicated for teens, other rooms for community meetings, moving the children's room out of the basement, a new innovative technology space, a new HVAC system and more. The renovation would also make it safer for emergency responses.

"The repair and renovation needs are tremendous, and we simply cannot continue to use a band aid approach to maintaining our infrastructure," Mayor Paul Brodeur said.

The original parts of the library opened in its West Emerson location in 1904. An addition was built in 1963, and in 1990 a grant allowed for significant improvements.

In 2017 the city applied for and was provisionally approved for a Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners grant.

"These needs are longstanding and we have seen phenomenal public support for this project since we began the process back in 2013," Library Director Linda Gardener said. "As our struggle to accommodate the current needs of our community increases, we are excited to embark on this new phase of the process."

If the City Council signs off the matching funds, the library would move to an undetermined temporary location during construction. The funds would be matched by city money and fundraising, the library said.

"To turn down this opportunity would do a disservice to our residents and future generations of Melrosians," Brodeur said. "There is no better time to do this than right now with this pot of gold in front of us. This investment will pay dividends for years to come."

The library was listed as one of the most urgent needs in the city's Capital Improvement Plan. Accessibility in particular has long been an issue — the only wheelchair ramp is at the back of the library and is 76 feet long.

The long-term future of the building could depend on the city not wasting this opportunity, the mayor said.

"If we wait for a crisis, we’ll have missed out on this significant funding opportunity and it will be too late," Brodeur said. "If we want this historic building to be here in 100 years, we need to act now. Former Mayor Rob Dolan said it best back in 2016: to leave this money on the table would be a 'generational sin.'"

Mike Carraggi can be reached at mike.carraggi@patch.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatchCarraggi. Subscribe to Melrose Patch for free local news and alerts and like us on Facebook