Library Expansion Project Bids Opening This Month

The library Board of Trustees is getting closer to seeing its long-awaited expansion project get off the ground, literally.

The board has been soliciting interest from construction firms who would like to take on the approximately , and trustees hope to have a construction manager in place in the next few weeks to help shepherd the project over the next year and possibly beyond.

The project had been delayed from its planned spring start date, due in part to reviews by the state Department of Community Affairs as well as legal questions about the language in the bids to potential contractors. However, the project could still start within a few months, should the bid and construction manager interview processes go well.

"It behooves us to get this project under way," said Treasurer Alma Mader, who noted that construction costs are rising.

Mader said approximately 25 contractors walked through the library Wednesday with representatives of BH&A Architects, a New York-based firm that designed the expansion. The project had been advertised late last month, and the bidding will be opened at 10 a.m. May 25 in the library's Monroe Room. BH&A will lead the bidding process and review submissions, eventually making a recommendation to the Board of Trustees on a suitable firm.

"We're going to have a good bunch of people bidding on the project," Mader said.

The project itself will offer more space and services to patrons, with every area of the library planned for enlargement. A much bigger children's room (1,750 square feet presently to 4,750 square feet) will be enclosed; more study space will be added; a young adults section will be created; audiovisual materials will be featured more prominently; and a new community room will be added downstairs at the facility that hasn't seen a significant upgrade in nearly 40 years.

Also, an elevator will offer easy access to the new community room, and various upgrades will be implemented, including a sprinkler system, an improved HVAC system, new carpeting and energy-efficient lights.

The project will not require any township funds or bonds. Approximately $4 million in library surplus, set aside for almost 18 years, will be available to finance the expansion, although a price tag won't be definitively known until bids are received.

The board will need someone on the ground to oversee the project and hope to start interviews by the end of next week in its search for a construction manager.

Mader said the board's Building Committee will consider three candidates recommended by the project architect, and is hopeful one will be suitable for the job.

Mayor Rudy Boonstra was concerned that the candidate pool was too small.

"I think we should cast a little wider net other than the three names the architect gave us," he said.

However, library Director Judy Schmitt said she "ran up against a wall" when trying to solicit names from neighboring libraries that have expanded in recent years. Several told her they went without a construction manager, although they wouldn't recommend such a move; others utilized people on a volunteer basis within their communities.

The board would like the construction manager in place as quickly as possible, though, so that he or she will be able to weigh in on the bidding process.

Mader also said the board's Building Committee will discuss compensation for the prospective construction manager. It's not decided if the role will garner a flat fee, a percentage of construction costs, an hourly wage, etc.

"Hopefully, by the end of next week we can have a plan in place."

Relocation

Trustees also have been exploring the possibility of temporarily relocating, which would allow the library's current building to close, possibly facilitating quicker construction.

"We've got to find a place to move the library," Mader said.

Trustees have looked at several spaces within the township, with little luck thus far.

"There's nothing out there," Mader said. At least, there's not much available that fits the library's needs, as it would require sufficient parking and several thousand square feet to receive customers and feature reduced books and materials.

However, trustee Tony Donato, a Realtor, will take a look at property in Mahwah that the mayor said is just a "stone's throw from the town line."

"We need to do this as soon as possible," Mader said.