State Awards Framingham $4.186M Grant for Proposed Christa McAuliffe Library Branch

The Framingham Library Foundation and the Framingham Library Trustees were awarded a $4.186 million grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners today to construct a new Christa McAuliffe Branch Library in Nobscot.

Eight projects around the Commonwealth were awarded general construction grants by the Board of Library Commissioners at its Oct. 4 board meeting.

Framingham was the fifth ranked project in the 2010-11 grant round. Framingham was on the wait list the last go round.

Library trustees want to construct a 17,000 square foot newMcAuliffe branch library on a parcel of land in Nobscot at 732-746 Water St. This library would replace the existing branch at the corner of Nicholas Road and Water Street.

Library Trustee Liz Fideler said the estimated $4.2 million grant is a general construction provisional grant, which would cover about 50% of the construction. The estimated total construction cost is $8.6 million.

"It is wonderful to get this grant from the state," she said.

"I am thrilled and excited about reaching this next milestone.  This is great news for the Town of Framingham.  We have lots of hard work before us, but the support locally and now from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners brings this project ever closer to reality," said Framingham Library Director Mark J. Contois.

During the next nine months grant recipients will work with their community to gain the local match funding necessary to move forward with the grant.

“Local support is really key to the success of a project because it ensures that each project meets the unique needs of its residents,” said Rosemary Waltos, MBLC construction specialist.

Fideler said construction on the new library branch can't move forward until it receives Town Meeting approval. She said she anticipates Town Meeting in April will be asked to approve the other 50% of construction costs, as a capital project, which would be bonded over several years.

Town Meeting in January 2011 approved a preliminary design and agreed to purchase the land on Water Street.