MARLBOROUGH – The city continues to take steps to acquire more parking for the proposed renovation and expansion of the century-old library.
City councilors Monday agreed to purchase the home at 28 Witherbee St. for $459,720 from Paulo and Katherine Riberio. The house – next to the library’s parking lot – will be razed to make way for parking if the city receives a state grant to expand and renovate the library. The property has been vacant for several months.
The council last month signed off on purchasing the home at 29 Witherbee St., which will also be knocked down for more parking. The city paid $258,200 for that property.
Marlborough is on a waiting list for grant funding and needs more space for parking. City officials authorized Mayor Arthur Vigeant to negotiate the purchase of a handful of homes adjacent to the library.
The grant program – overseen by the state Board of Library Commissioners – requires libraries to provide one parking spot for every 400 square feet. Marlborough’s proposal calls for expanding the facility from 22,300 square feet to 38,306 square feet, requiring 96 spaces. The library has 23 spaces.
“Parking has been a longstanding issue here,” said Library Director Margaret Cardello. “Having the necessary space is a wonderful thing.”
Once the city is awarded funding, the Library Building Committee and architects will refine designs.
“We’re anxious,” said Cardello.
The tab for the proposed renovation and expansion is about $24 million. The grant program provides communities about 50 percent of the cost of new library construction, renovation and expansion projects.
The Marlborough Public Library Foundation is hoping to raise about $2 million privately to defray the cost.
The library – constructed in the early 1900s and last renovated in 1969 – lacks room for meetings and quiet study. Space for those activities would be part of the project.
The building’s auditorium is too small to house popular programs and the facility lacks a classroom for tutoring and public workshops, such as English as a second language. There is also a need for more public computers.
Jeff Malachowski can be reached at 508-490-7466 or jmalachowski@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @JmalachowskiMW.