SWAMPSCOTT — Director of Swampscott Public Library Jonathan Nichols is looking ahead to what the future has in store for the library’s planned upgrades, though it will take some work to get there.
Nichols sat down to speak with The Daily Item to share the timeline of the project and what prompted the need for upgrades with the front patio/ramp area, as well as updates to reinforce the structure of the building.
“We’re calling it a renovation, but the majority of it is repair work,” Nichols explained. “We have a lot of water infiltration in the basement — primarily in the children’ s room — and we don’t know why it keeps happening. … All of the solutions we’ve tried have not worked.”
To help mitigate the issue, Nichols said work had been done on the drainage system out in front of the library, but further investigation has led them to believe it could be a structural issue with the foundation of the building.
Nichols added that they won’t know more until the exploratory phase of the project has been completed, which he said is part of the scope of the work entailed for the renovations.
“However, because they have to basically destroy the patio to investigate the foundation anyway, the library gets a new patio out of it — so that’s where the ‘renovation’ side comes from — and we’re trying to preserve as much of it as we can,” he said. “We were told it was sturdy and in good condition.”
Nichols described the work entailed to investigate the foundation. “They’re basically going to have to make what looks like a moat around the whole perimeter of the building to investigate it,” he said.
Another area of focus, as Nichols described it, was making the patio one level to make the front entrance and wheelchair ramp more easily accessible.
“The ultimate goal for the project, our hope is to get started on the work this year,” Nichols said. “Whether or not it’s completed by this year, I’m not sure. … And while I can’t speak for the town, that’s my goal going into this.”
Director of Facilities Max Kasper added to that point in a follow-up interview, stating that the town is planning to put the project out to bid for contractors within the next several weeks.
“We’re excited to refresh the library entryway, and think the library will be much more user friendly,” Kasper said.
Currently, efforts are underway to get all the necessary paperwork and plans prepared for going out to bid. Nichols explained the town has a team working on getting everything together. “They’re dedicated and very passionate, and they’ve done historic renovations for other libraries and buildings,” Nichols said. “They like to take their time and do it right.”
He said he met with the Historic Commission on-site to approve elements such as brick and window samples. “Once we go back to the Historic Commission with documents in hand, they’ll already have an idea of what materials we’re using for the project,” Nichols said.
Once the project is fully underway, the library plans to have a temporary ramp set up in the rear entrance to make the building accessible to everyone during the construction phase.
“It’s not going to be ideal, but I’d rather the library be opened than closed during the renovations,” Nichols said.
