Main Library Expansion Project Comprehensive Design Review

Ground was broken this summer and important work commenced on the Main Library Expansion Project. The Department of Public Works and the Cambridge Water Department contributed significantly to the project by preparing the site and making several important utility connections into Broadway. Their combined efforts were designed to take advantage of the summer months to mitigate construction impacts on the students and faculty of Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and the Broadway neighborhood. Their accomplishments will also reduce costs of the main project.

What got done this summer?

• installation of a new 12" and 15" storm drain line, along with its associated manholes and fittings, for subsequent connections of site and garage storm-water run-off
• placing roughly 8000 linear feet of 4"conduit (in a 20-pipe ductbank) for future installation and cross-over of existing telephone, data, and fiber-optic lines
• connection of a new 6" sewer line and manhole from the area of the proposed garage to Broadway
• placement of a new drainage manhole for future connection for site drainage in the area of the re-located tot-lot
• installation of a new 6" water line from Broadway that will be the new water service for the library addition
• cutting and capping of water lines in various locations throughout the site so as to lessen the chance of service interruption during excavation for the new garage
• disconnection and removal of the old gas connection to the library
• demolition and jack hammering of certain areas of the sidewalks and entry plazas that require removal during the main expansion project and that would pose significantly adverse noise conditions for the CRLS students and faculty
• creation of a new, accessible walkway that will provide an alternate egress pattern for emergency evacuation during various times during the library's construction project

7/5/2006

Although bids for the Main Library Expansion Project are not due until the end of the summer/early fall, you will see some work being done this summer at the Main Library site. Crews from the City and NSTAR will be relocating utility lines to make way for the entrance to the underground parking garage. Work will be done on the walkway from Broadway to the CRLS main entrance as well.

3/21/2006

As part of the new Public Construction law, an extensive prequalification process for subcontractors and general contractors seeking to bid on the Main Library Project was completed in the fall of 2005. Bids from the general contractors were opened on February 23rd. Unfortunately, due to impacts of the new Public Construction Law, only one general contractor bid the job and the sole bid did not meet City budget limitations, therefore the City elected to reject the bid. Alan Burne will be working with the architects to identify areas where costs can be reduced without affecting the library program and the overall appearance of the building and the City will endeavor to determine and address issues which resulted in additional general contractors failing to bid in the last round. A new prequalification process will be undertaken in Spring 2006. We expect to re-bid the project as soon as possible.

9/22/2005

Although from the exterior it looks like nothing has changed at 449 Broadway, work has been underway. Removal of hazardous materials in the Main Library has been completed. The boiler room of the 1889 building, which has not been used in decades, has been demolished but the cast iron boiler doors will be saved for display in the new library building. The walls of the stack area slated to be the young adult room have been sandblasted to expose the original brick.

6/22/2005

The City of Cambridge will host a special groundbreaking ceremony for the new Main Library Expansion Project Tuesday, June 28, at 4 p.m., 449 Broadway, Cambridge.

For nearly a decade, library trustees and staff, city leaders, and the community have envisioned a state-of-the-art main library for the city. The $50 million construction project is scheduled to begin in August and expected to last 27 months. City officials anticipate opening the new and restored library buildings in late fall of 2007.

Throughout the design process, the architects have been guided by the requirements for excellent library services and the history of the library building, which is listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places and is located in a designated historic district.

The development of the site, the inter-relationship between the library, the Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School and the neighborhood have all been of critical importance to the design of the new Main Library - a "green" building that will be:

The 102,000 square-foot new library will be fully accessible for those with disabilities and will include: a newly created young adult area; silent reading room; a climatically controlled Cambridge History Room; spaces for public meetings and library programs; a spectacular children's room; significantly more public access computers; a computer training center; greatly increased seating and places to work; as well as room to grow for at least 20 years. It will also include a 47,000 square foot, underground parking garage for 70 cars, under what is now the historic building's front lawn.

When the garage is completed, four feet of soil will be placed over it to allow for new landscaping, including several large caliper trees, to be planted.

Library services are amongst the most valued by our Cambridge citizens, and this new facility will aptly serve the needs of our community for the next 100 years, said City Manager Robert W. Healy.

During the estimated 27-month construction phase, the Cambridge Public Library (CPL) will operate out of a temporary location in the Longfellow School at 359 Broadway. CPL re-opened for business at the new location on Monday, June 20. Hours of operation are Monday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m., Friday - Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Children's Room hours are Monday 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., Tuesday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Friday - Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

5/25/2005

The Main Library will re-open on Monday, June 20, 2005 at our temporary location, the Longfellow School, 359 Broadway. Main Library hours will be Monday-Thursday 9am-9pm and Friday-Saturday 9am-5pm. The Children's room hours will be Monday 9am-8pm, Tuesday-Thursday 9am-6pm, and Friday-Saturday 9am-5pm.

Also, as of Monday, June 6, 2005, the Central Square Branch will resume its normal hours: Monday, Wednesday, & Friday 10am-6pm, Tuesday & Thursday 10am-9pm, and Saturday 10am-5pm.

1/29/2005

The day we have been waiting for/ dreading is soon upon us. We are planning to cease library operations at the Main Library building on Sunday, March 13. We hope that you will save the date as we are planning s suitable celebration for that day. We will keep you apprised as plans are finalized. If you have any suggestions as to how we can commemorate over 100 years of library services in the Main Library, please let us know.

After the building is closed to the public, staff will begin preparing all library materials, equipment, and furnishings for relocation to the Longfellow School The move to the Longfellow School is scheduled for the week of April 18 – 22. At this time, we are uncertain as to the official date of reopening at the Longfellow School.

The density of library shelving and the extraordinary weight of books require structural support that exceeds general construction standards. Therefore, we will not be able to accommodate the entire library collection in the Longfellow School. Librarians are now in the process of identifying what library materials will be kept in storage while we are there. The Main Library collection currently has approximately 225,000 volumes. Our intent is to select the most heavily used items in our collection and to make them available throughout construction. We will also continue to acquire and circulate new books at our normal rate during construction. Over 60% of our print collection, all subject areas, all audio-visual holdings, all reference volumes, and all periodicals will remain accessible during construction which is significantly better than what comparable libraries have been able to offer. As always, Cambridge Public Library patrons will have access to all the collections in the Minuteman Library Network and we will be happy to borrow any title you want through inter-library loan.

While the Main Library is closed, the Central Square Branch will expand its hours to the Main Library schedule. The Rotary Technology Learning Center will be expanded for that full schedule as well.

Library staff members are determining how to handle Main Library requests, returns, etc. while we are closed and they will inform you as soon as the details are worked out. Please be assured that other libraries in the Minuteman Network have been through this process and we are learning from all of them. We hope to make the transition go as smoothly as possible.

We are planning to cease access to the Cambridge History and Local History Collections on February 1 and they will not be available for public access during construction. Due to the fragility and uniqueness of many of these materials, these collections will require exceptional preparation and an inventory before the move. The new Main Library will have the first ever publicly accessible Cambridge History Collection. Given that this will be a new service, and that our collection has not been properly cataloged and/or preserved, we plan to spend the next two years doing that so on opening day all materials will be accounted for and available for public use.

1/6/2005

Plans for the new main library are progressing. We anticipate the temporary closure of the Main Library sometime in mid-March. After the library is closed, the staff will prepare the collection and offices for the move to our interim home at the Longfellow School at 359 Broadway. At this time, we do not know how long the Main Library will be closed. All branches will remain open during the Main Library closing and materials not available in Cambridge will be borrowed, as always, through the Minuteman Library Network.

Many of our Minuteman neighbors, including Brookline, Lexington, Needham, and Wellesley have been through this very same process. We have spent many hours learning from them what works and what doesn’t. We will try very hard to minimize the impact on our patrons. Please let us know what we can do to make the transition go smoothly for you.

We will keep you informed as plans develop.

4/29/2004

The last few months have been busy ones for the library staff, our architectural team (William Rawn Associates, Inc., Ann Beha Architects, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc.), and the Design Advisory Committee.

The School Committee has approved the use of the Longfellow School as the temporary site of the Main Library while the new building is restored and expanded. Although definite dates have not yet been set, we plan to close the Main Library and relocate to the Longfellow School sometime in the late summer or early fall. We do expect that the library operations will be suspended for a short time while we make that transition.

The City Council gave final authorization for full funding of the Main Library expansion project at their February 23 meeting. The architects have completed design development and have been authorized to begin construction documents.

The Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation Commission voted unanimously to grant a certificate of appropriateness for the Main Library project. The Commission stated, “the construction described… is not incongruous to the historic aspects or architectural character of the building or district.” Final approval of the design is contingent upon the submission of final construction drawings and a final landscape plan, approval of construction materials, the relocation of the tot lot on the site, and the development of a passage between the rear of the library and CRLS. The Commission will also review our traffic calming plan.

The Arts Council has selected artist Liam Gillick to create a piece for the Main Library project. Mr. Gillick lives and works in London and New York. He was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2002 and he received the Paul Cassirer Kunstpreis in 1998. His work is frequently characterized by the use of text, bold color, and industrial materials. Mr. Gillick has done a major work for the Fort Lauderdale airport and recently had an exhibition at MoMA Projects in New York. He is an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University and the author of Literally No Place: Communes, Bars and Greenrooms.

In a cooperative venture between the Women’s Commission and the Arts Council, artist and Cambridge resident Ellen Driscoll was selected to create a work to celebrate women’s contributions to the life of Cambridge. Ms. Driscoll met with women throughout the city to gather their remembrances and ideas. Her work will include the creation of a historical database, a Women’s Heritage Trail, and a permanent art piece in the new Main Library building. She has been recognized by the Institute for Contemporary Art in Boston with the Englehard Award in 1985. Her past work includes 13 mosaic murals for the New York Grand Central Station Terminal Project. She is currently a professor of sculpture at Rhode Island School of Design.

Last but not least, the Main Library Expansion Project will be presented to the Planning Board on May 4, 7:30 P.M. at the Senior Center in Central Square. The meeting is open to the public.

2/5/2004

Meeting notice: The Expansion Project's Design Advisory Committee will next meet on Wednesday evening, March 3, 2004, at 6:00pm, in the Cafeteria at the Morse School, 40 Granite Street, Cambridge. The architectural team will present an update of their design development. The public will have an opportunity to speak prior to the Advisory Committee's discussion.

11/7/2003

Cambridge residents used their public library in unprecedented numbers during the past year. For the first time in history, circulation topped 1,100,000. In the face of dramatic increases in library use, the library staff worked even harder to manage the growing demand without compromising the quality of library services. The ability of the library system to respond to increasing public demands for materials, services, and programs will be enhanced by the timely completion of the Main Library expansion project.

CPL by the Numbers in FY03

6/26/2003

Cambridge Public Library Expansion Design Viewed With Enthusiasm

by Janet Axelrod, Chairperson, Cambridge Public Library Board of Trustees

The Expansion Project's Design Advisory Committee will next meet on Wednesday evening, 30 April 2003, from 6:00pm until 9:00pm, at the Citywide Senior Center, 806 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge. The architects will present an update of their current status in the schematic design phase of the project. The public will have an opportunity to speak prior to the Advisory Committee's discussion.

3/17/2003

I'm pleased to inform you that a panel discussion, recorded on February 13th, about the plans for the Main Library Expansion Project is being aired this month on "Cambridge Uncovered" on Cable TV, Channel 10. The panel is moderated by Susan Flannery, the Director of Libraries. The panelists are Fred Fantini, School Committee and Library Design Advisory Committee (DAC) member; Ruth Butler, Chair of the DAC; John Gintell, DAC member, and Alan Burne, the City's project director.

The show times for the remainder of the month are Thursday and Saturday nights at 9 pm, and Wednesdays at 3:30 pm.

It is a one-hour program. I hope you find it interesting and informative.

1/24/2003

Following a City Council decision to expand and restore the Main Library Building on Broadway, the City selected William Rawn Associates and Ann Beha Architects as the designers for the project. Alan Burne was appointed by the City Manager to be the Project Director. The Manager advertised for volunteers and selected an 18 member citizen's Design Advisory Committee (DAC) to work with the architects to ensure the very best new library for our city.

The DAC developed design objectives for the library building, the site, Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (CRLS), and parking. Some of their objectives are:

Throughout the process, the architects have been guided by the history of the library building, the development of the site, the inter-relationship between the library and the various Cambridge secondary schools that have shared the site, the critical importance of open space to the Mid-Cambridge neighborhood and the service/programmatic needs of the new library.

In response to the committee's recommendations and the community's input, William Rawn Associates, Ann Beha Architects, and the landscape design firm of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates developed a total of seven conceptual site massing alternatives. Each option addressed the goals outlined by the DAC and the service needs of the library. They also included underground parking and the assumption that a tot lot would be located on the site. In each instance, the design team attempted to minimize encroachment on available open space.

After 6 months of community meetings, multiple presentations, and intense dialogue, the DAC made its recommendation to the City Manager. The Committee preferred an addition to the east side of the historic building with 2 stories in the front and three stories in the rear. In addition, the design calls for a new underground parking garage to be built in front of the historic building. The retaining wall now separating the library from CRLS will be removed, and with the exception of the ramp to the new garage, the park will extend and will be traffic-free from the school building to Ellery Street. The 1967 addition to the library building will be demolished, uncovering the historic side of the original Van Brunt and Howe stack wing and creating an open plaza facing the main CRLS entrance. The proposal also calls for the relocation of parking spaces, currently housed under the tennis courts, to the new garage which will be shared with the library. This will allow the tennis courts to be rebuilt at ground level.

The current Main Library is on the National and State Registers of Historic Places and is located in a designated historic district. As such, any changes to the building must be approved by the Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District and the Massachusetts Historical Commission.

We anticipate that the project's design will be completed by the summer of 2004, with construction ending with a grand opening for a Happy New Year 2007. Starting this summer, we hope to stagger portions of the overall construction activity to take advantage of those times when students are on vacation. During the major expansion work, the Library will be closed, with some of its functions being relocated to a place as yet undetermined.

12/27/2002

At our most recent Design Advisory Committee meeting on the 20th of November, three additional alternates for the Library expansion's conceptual design were presented by the architectural team of William Rawn Associates, Ann Beha Architects, and Michael Van Valkenburg Associates. Our efforts thus far have been directed at trying to narrow our building massing/location schemes to a single, preferred approach. At the first October meeting, several members of the public audience asked us to look at alternates to those four approaches previously presented. Following the meeting, the team went back to work and developed modifications to alternates numbers 4, 5 and 6, and investigated a new concept in which the existing structure was moved forward, closer to Broadway. Please note: Photos of the models associated with each proposal as well as the individual drawing plan can be seen on our web page.

So, on the 20th, the Advisory Committee discussed the three additional options after they were described by the architect, and commented upon by the public audience. Their opinion was nearly unanimous, with only some reservation, regarding the proposed ramp location by the members representing CRLS, in strong favor of the modified massing alternate #4. This approach has the 2- and 3-story addition extending eastward with its front elevation in line with the front line of the existing building. The eastern edge of the expansion would extend to roughly where the first (of the three) tennis court begins. In this plan, the parking area under the tennis courts (not under the field house) would be replaced by a new underground parking garage, which would be located in front of the existing library. The 25-foot wide by 110-foot long ramp to this garage would be perpendicular to Broadway, and parallel to the north-south line of the school. (fyi: I've marked out the location on the ground with orange paint and stakes.)

Our next steps involve discussions with the School Committee, the Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Conservation District Commission, and both the Cambridge and Massachusetts Historical Commissions, in order to get their input, and hopefully their concurrence with our moving forward. Depending upon the outcome of these meetings, we will consult with a cost estimator, and make a recommendation to the City Manager as to the way we should proceed to the next stage of the process - Stay tuned.