North Adams Library May Seek Historic Grants for Repairs
The trustees discussed the condition of the building last week and welcomed new members Robin Martin and Nicole Gordon.
Library Director Mindy Hackner told the trustees last week that architect Thomas Bartels, who was involved in the renovation and addition in 2003, surveyed the building and was concerned with the condition of the building's structure.
"He was concerned about the building 13 years ago, now he is really concerned about it," Hackner said. "The entire envelope of the exterior of the old building needs to be sealed and everything needs to be repointed because water getting in anywhere means long term very serious damage."
She said there are three options: do nothing, which Bartels said was criminal; make emergency repairs that would be costly and inconvenient; or seek a Massachusetts Historical grant to seal up the building.
It would likely be a five-year process and but Bartels had told her the project would most likely be accepted.
"He said this is the kind of project they love," Hackner said. "They know this building and in light of what is going on in the city with St. Francis, this grant is not going to be a problem."
The 150-year-old St. Francis' Church had to be demolished this year after its tower deteriorated.
She said the grant would most likely have to be matched by the city or some other funding source and if the city administration is not on board the project may be dead in the water.
Hackner said she did meet with Mayor Richard Alcombright and Administrative Officer Michael Canales and although they supported the project, they were reluctant to commit because of limited funds and other projects in the city. The mayor had said recently that the city could apply for a grant along with funds for Notre Dame, which also had structural issues.
"So things can be at the top of the list but in a city like North Adams, if there is an emergency, suddenly it just gets dropped and back down to the bottom," Hackner said. "But they didn't say stop and they understand there is money out there."
Hackner said she is unsure of the scope of the entire project and how much it would actually cost. She said depending on the final dollar amount and how much Mass Historic would throw in, they might be able to start a fundraising campaign.
Trustee Rich Remsberg said if the price is right he thinks they should start an aggressive fundraising campaign because letting the building go really is not an option.
"Unless we are talking about an extraordinary amount of money then I think we should figure out how to come up with it because I would hate to see things be put off," he said. "If the city can help that’s great but I would be interested in raising it on our own. We don’t want the building to continue to fall apart."
Hackner noted that residents may be hesitant to donate to the library because the community already provided nearly $3.5 million for the renovation. She added the renovation never really addressed the structural issues now facing the building and was mostly about the addition.
She said the only structural improvements were emergency patches.
Hackner added that there is county interest in the building and maybe even national interest because the library is the first private home to be converted into a public library. The Blackinton Mansion was purchased by the city's first Mayor Alfred C. Houghton and donated in memory of his brother, Andrew.
Hackner said the next step is to hire an architect to create an architectural summary that will shed more light on the details of the project. She said she will keep the trustees posted and floated the idea of creating a crowd-funding website.
"Like with St. Francis, a lot of people are really feeling the burn and if we don't do something about this 1865 building it could be a similar problem," Hackner said.
In other business, the trustees welcomed two new members, Robin Martin and Nicole Gordon. They replaced former Nicole Prokop and Joan Owaczarksi.
Tags: historical building, library, NAPL,
