Expansion Project Timeline from 1992 to June 2005
In his letter of resignation to the City Manager, Director
of Libraries Joseph Sakey states that the Main Library is in need of expansion
and that it will be a major challenge facing his successor
1993
Library Director and Board of Trustees explore alternative
sites
Library asks City to investigate availability of foreclosed
Porter Exchange for new main library (Cambridge Chronicle
story; first press coverage)
April
Deputy City Manager and Library Director meet with Assistant City Manager
for Community Development to discuss possible sites for new main library
November
Library decides to hire consultant for strategic plan, necessary for grant
application, a pre-requirement for a state library construction grant
December
Mayor Reeves proposes new main library in Central Square area (Boston
Globe)
1994
May
City Council approves FY95 library budget with administrative goal to
identify current and future needs of main library and to conduct feasibility
study of current main library
June
Survey of Cambridge residents on library issues; strong support for new
library
Beginning of strategic planning process
August RFP issued for building planning consultant;
Aaron Cohen Associates hired
September
Cambridge Library Trustees meet with Deputy Manager Rossi on search for
site
October
Deputy City Manager and Library Director meet with Representatives from
the Community Development Department and Harvard University Real Estate
to discuss potential sites for a new main library
Trustees proceed with discussions of development program
for new facility; Aaron Cohen, library consultant, conducts focus groups
with adult and adolescent library users, high school students, staff,
trustees, and city administration
1995
April
FY95/96 budget passed by City Council includes $70,000 for an architect
to prepare schematic drawings for expansion of Main Library (a requirement
for state library construction grant to be submitted in March 1996)
May
Building program draft submitted to the City Manager
Review of available sites leads to decision to go forward
on Broadway
August
A Request for Proposal issued for an architect to develop design for a
new main library on the Broadway site
September
Library Director meets with Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Association on
expansion
Trustees designate representative to Library Building Planning
Committee
October
Architect Selection Committee chooses Rawn/Beha (new building/preservation)
team to design renovated and expanded main library
Trustees invite City Councilors for personal tours of
Main Library
November
City Manager advertises for citizen participation in the Library Design
Advisory Committee
December
Library Design Advisory Committee formed
Trustees approve strategic plan for submission to Massachusetts
Board of Library Commissioners
Library Director meets with Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood
Association on expansion; group agrees to establish study committee on
main library expansion
Rawn/Beha and Library Director meet with representatives
of the School Committee to discuss various options for expansion on current
site
1996
January
City Manager’s Office and Cambridge Public Library Trustees hold
public design workshops by Rawn/Beha (18 hours over three
days) followed by recap and community forum at CRLS
Library Design Advisory Committee votes to endorse
Rawn/Beha Design
February
Library publishes pamphlet, "Why Improve and Expand the Main Library?"
Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Association Library Study Committee
recommendations presented to members. Six of seven recommendations pass;
motion endorsing Rawn/Beha design is tabled
Library Director and Rawn/Beha meet with School Department
to discuss library expansion and to explore option for "shared parking"
March 4
Library Director, Head of Cambridge Historic Commission, and Rawn/Beha
present proposed library expansion plans to Mid-Cambridge Conservation
District Commission
Library Trustees vote to support expansion on
present site
March 14
Library Director and Rawn/Beha meet with Principal of CRLS to discuss
proposed plans
March 18
City Manager, Library Director and Trustees present expansion plan, known
informally as the "J Scheme" to City Council ; Advocates for
the relocation of the Main Library proposed Central Square as the best
site for a new main library; there was some objection to the use of the
parking lot and driveway for library expansion
March 25
City Council votes (9-0) that the main library should remain at the Broadway
site; that the CPL should proceed to apply for a state construction grant;
and that the Manager, with input from various city departments and the
assistance of a new citywide advisory committee, "thoroughly review
the proposed program and design" and report to the Council by June
15 "so that the Council can make its final decision at its mid-summer
meeting."
April
Library submits state grant application
Rizzo Associates hired to conduct traffic study
of current site
May 1
The City Manager establishes the new city-wide advisory committee
co-chaired by Nancy Woods and Richard Rossi, Deputy City Manager. The
committee became known as the Library 21 (L21) Committee
Manager informs City Council he will not proceed with
grant application as it is his understanding that it does not have the
support of a majority of the Councilors
Between May 1996 and September 1997, L21 held approximately
28 public meetings; meetings were held in the Main Library and in almost
all the branches; meetings were also held in the Morse and Haggerty Schools,
the Area 4 Youth Center and the Central Square Senior Center. The Committees
work was divided into phases:
L21 Phase I. May-August 1996: Getting started--learning
about the library system and its relationship to the community and the
schools; work groups set up: library systems in the US; Cambridge Archives,
young adults, computers and networking, community outreach and data base
development, neighborhoods, seniors, K through 8th grade readers
September
L21 Phase II. September-November 1996: Casting a wide net/envisioning
the library—gathering input from library professionals, including the
Director of the MIT Library system; from the public (over 2000 comments
were obtained); from outreach to many community groups
October 19
L21 and Cambridge Public Library sponsor a visit to the Everett, Waltham
and Newton Public Libraries
October 23
L21 Committee and the Cambridge Public Library Board of Trustees co-sponsor
a symposium—"The Public Library in the 21st Century-An
Exploration of Possibilities." Over 100 people attended.
1997
January
L21 Phase III. January-September: Refining the opportunities—examining
all the input from Phase II and begin to shape the program and set priorities
July 16
The L21 Committee invited three respected library directors to review
its program recommendations and offer their suggestions for improvement--Tom
Jewell, Director of the Waltham Public Library; Penelope Johnson, Director
of the Worcester Public Library; and Paula Polk, Director of the Morse
Institute, Natick.
October 1
The Library 21 Committee submitted its recommendations to the City Manager--
a vision, a program for the main library, including the methodology, benefits
of an expanded main library, its constituencies, the structure of the
library system, benefits of community collaboration, library roles and
functions and related space requirements. The Committee concluded that
a new main library should be 90,000 to 100,000 square feet. In view of
the lack of consensus on the site, the Committee recommended that the
city conduct an objective site search and analysis and include the Broadway
site in this process." The committee would continue to advise the
City Manager in so far as the siting impacted the program.
1998
February 23
City Council approves $84,200 to hire "consulting services associated
with the main library site selection process." The successful candidate
is Sasaki Associates.
June 10
The City holds three public meetings where Sasaki Associates explain their
methodology for site selection, identify and evaluate the sites. The study
looked at over 30 sites in the city and evaluated them in terms of program
suitability, parcel size, accessibility, centrality, availability, "civic
heart", relationship to branch libraries and schools. Sasaki recommended
two first choice sites of equal merit: the present site and the 7-11 block.
They also selected 4 second choice sites: Naggar Block, Post Office, Prospect
Street parking lot, the TAD Block.
April L21 and the Cambridge Public Library publish a
brochure, "My Library/Your Library: We’ve Got Plans!" about
the services and facilities in a new main library; 4,000 copies are distributed
to library users and in central places around town
June 22
The City Manager submits the "Cambridge Library Site Selection Study"
to the City Council.
October 6
Sasaki Associates presents their site recommendations to the School Committee
November 16
City Manager requests additional information from the United States Postal
Service about the Central Square Post Office and the possibility of acquiring
the site for the library.
1999
March
Trustees commission a citywide resident survey. Results favor Broadway
site
April
The City Manager and Council members continue to meet with USPS
officials and to analyze the possible sites; those in the running at this
point are: Broadway, Central Square Post Office, YMCA, 7-11 Block, Prospect
Street Parking lot
City Manager and staff hold on-going meetings with private
property owners and work with consultants to assess costs and legal issues
around these sites
2000
February
The City Manager requests $25,000 to hire three architecture firms
to develop exterior renderings designs and cost estimates for three
of the four remaining potential sites--Broadway, the parking lot on the
north side of Prospect Street and the 7-11 block at the corner of Pleasant
Street and Massachusetts Avenue. A developer working with the YMCA identified
a fourth architect to develop a schematic design for a fourth site: the
post office and YMCA
April
Renderings of the four sites are presented to the City Council and public
May
City Council narrows sites to the Broadway site and 65 Prospect Street
parking lot. The Post Office/YMCA option as well as the 7-11 option
are eliminated from consideration. Council approves $80,000 for
an in-depth feasibility study and real estate appraisal of Prospect St.
September
City Council votes 9-0 to make libraries an allowable use in any zone
in the city.
December
City Council votes 7-2 to expand the Main Library building on its current
site and appropriates $31,785,495 for Main library building project
2001
January
City Council votes 7-1 (1 absent) to authorize the City Manager to sell
bonds to fund the Main Library expansion.
This material was compiled by Board of Library Trustees.
Susan Flannery (Library Director), Don York (library staff member) and
Lisa Peterson( Assistant to the City Manager) also provided review and
input.
2002
April
Rawn/Beha contracted to undertake Expansion Project
May
Owner's representative/project director hired
June
City Manager appointed new 18-member, citywide Design Advisory Committee
(DAC)
First DAC meeting held on June 27, 2002 which resulted in the Main
Library Building Update
2003
January
Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Commission (MCNCDC) approves
conceptual design for Main Library expansion, subject to review of design
details
2004
January
City Council appropriates $31,500,000 in additional funds for Main library
project
June
Planning Board approves City's application for a Special Permit for project
October
MCNCDC approves final design details for building and landscape
2005
March
Main Library closes to prepare for move to Longfellow School
June
Main Library reopens at the Longfellow School
Ceremonial groundbreaking
is held at Main Library site
July
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners awards a $6,651,647 Project
for General Construction Grant to the CPL and designates it #1 on the
waiting list for an additional $4,046,848 if the state appropriates more
money