Bid Approved for Work on Library

Exterior improvements to the Oakland Public Library will move forward quickly, after the borough council's approval of a bid on the project Wednesday night.

The contract awarded by the council, covering a long-awaited exterior paint job and repairs to the original building's cupola, will cost the borough $55,786.

"We got very good pricing on this project," borough administrator Richard Kunze said. "It was less than what we were ultimately anticipating."

Part of the bid's specifications, he told the council, require that the work be done prior to Labor Day and the start of nearby schools, as an extra precaution given the lead paint that will be chipped away from the old building. Kunze said that he did not anticipate the library would need to be closed during the work.

The work is the first step in a renewed effort to finish improvements to the library, an effort that began in 1998 and halted midway through due to budgetary and legal issues with the contractor. The original building, attached to a newly constructed wing, remains shuttered.

Officials said Wednesday night that after meetings with library staff last month to review the original plan for the renovations, an architect will be sought within the next two to three months to update and move ahead with interior renovations.