Money for Monterey Library

It was announced today that the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners has voted to award the Town of Monterey $1.855 million for the renovation and expansion of the Monterey Library.

In a press release, the library's Director, Mark Makuc, said the total cost is projected to be $3.1 million. The balance of the project's funding will come from a bond which the town's voters approved last spring, and with $200,000 in privately raised funds donated by the Friends of Monterey Library.

The current library, built in 1931, did not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other building codes, and will be renovated. According to the library's release, it will become a multipurpose room and allow for the Knox Gallery's art exhibitions. Two earlier additions to the original building will be demolished for an expansion of usable space, including two small study rooms, a children's area and a young adult area. There will also be 9 new parking spaces and a reading deck overlooking the Konkapot waterfall.

Design plans are nearly complete and the permitting process has begun. Construction is expected to begin this summer and take about a year. The Library expects to be fully functional out of the Monterey Firehouse during the project.

You can look over renderings and floorplans of the project on the Monterey Library website.