Cost
Click here for more details about the cost of the project.
Why is the town asking to spend $36.9 million on the library when they could be upgrading the bathrooms at Elm Avenue Park or addressing local water issues?
The library and the Town of Bethlehem are two separate government agencies. Town of Bethlehem money is not used for library expenses, as the library budget is separately approved by residents of the school district. This budget is overseen by an elected Board of Trustees. The library and the school district share the same borders, but both of those budgets are also distinct. While there is a great deal of overlap between the town and the school district, there are some people who live within the library district but not the Town of Bethlehem and vice versa.
What alternative funding sources have been explored? Has the library considered any amount of fund raising in an effort to minimize the substantial tax burden to taxpayers?
As a government entity, the library is prohibited from fundraising. We do have a close relationship with the Friends of Bethlehem Public Library, a charitable organization that supports the library in a number of ways. For the past five years, the Friends have been actively fundraising with the goal of making a significant six-figure contribution to the library’s building project. Click here to learn more about the Friends.
The geothermal portion of the proposed project is eligible for a major grant award from the American Reinvestment Act, which brings the cost closer to that of a traditional HVAC system.
New York State construction grant money is available through the Upper Hudson Library System, which awards between $1 million and $1.5 million each year to the 29 libraries in the system. Typically, these competitive grants are in the tens of thousands. The library received a significant award of $289,000 for a past project and will be applying for assistance again.
How much has been spent so far on architects and design? Is that part of the $36.9 million total? What is the funding source?
As of Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, the library has spent approximately $1.33 million on project planning and design. While that was not part of the $36.9 million total project cost, all design and planning costs moving forward are part of that total. The money for the planning and design of the project had been set aside from budget savings over the years specifically for the long-range planning process.
Why is this project proposal more expensive than the one that was completed at Guilderland Public Library?
There are a number of reasons for this, but the main reason is that the two projects are fundamentally different in scope. The Guilderland building project was primarily an expansion of the children and teen areas, and a fit and finish update in the other areas. It was much smaller in nature than the Bethlehem proposal, partly because their building was constructed in the 90s and needed fewer structural updates than BPL’s 50-year-old building. Much of the cost of the Bethlehem project would go to renovating the existing space, with 40% — approximately $15 million – going toward expanding the space. Another reason for the difference in price is the impact of the pandemic. The Guilderland library was able to stay closed during construction, eliminating the costly expense of phasing a project to remain open to the public. Guilderland was also able to secure very competitive bids due to the pandemic halting non-government construction for a time. Finally, post-COVID construction costs have risen dramatically.
The vote
Have there been any other library bond votes in the past 10 years?
No. The last time the library put a bond vote to the public was in 2003, when voters approved $1.25 million for furniture, shelving and carpeting.
Why is an off-cycle vote being held Dec. 12?
Off-cycle votes are fairly common in New York State. The original target date for the library bond vote was in early October. However, when the construction manager presented a new cost estimate, it was more expensive and the trustees directed the architects to scale back the project. Based on community feedback, they scaled back the addition, reducing the square footage, shrinking the community space and gallery space, and removing things like telescoping seating. In order to rework the design, the vote date needed to be pushed to December.
The building
If the building project moves forward, how will the library protect the community’s investment, or do you envision having to go back to taxpayers in 10 years or so to ask for another increase?
This building proposal is intended as a 50-year ask – meaning we expect the planned updates and improvements to serve this community for another 50 years without any significant additional needs. We believe we have been good caretakers of our current building, which has not seen any change to its footprint during its 50-plus years, and we plan to continue that thoughtful stewardship. Each year, we set aside a portion of our budget as a contingency to deal with any unplanned emergencies and repairs so that we do not let essential functions within the library building deteriorate.
How would this project increase accessibility?
One of our primary goals in design development is to increase accessibility for all library users. The main entrance to the library is more than 400 feet from our most distant parking space and not readily visible. By reorienting the entrance, the proposed design would decrease that distance to 180 feet and bring the accessible parking spots even closer. In addition to serving families with small children and folks on the go, a permanent curbside pickup fixture would also benefit library users with limited mobility. Locating all of the library functions on a single floor will eliminate a number of accessibility challenges, as well.
Does the proposed library renovation increase shelf space?
The building project is expected to bring an increase in shelf space for both the teen and children’s collection. In other areas, the architects have been directed to maintain the capacity of the library’s collection. New, flexible shelving will allow us to address collection needs as they evolve over the years.
Will this address wait times on new releases?
We carefully watch borrowing trends to try to get people the titles they are looking for, delivered in the way they prefer to read them. When we see multiple hold requests on a popular item, we purchase additional copies – for both physical and digital formats. We will continue to devote ample resources to cultivating the physical collection and purchasing multiple copies of popular new releases to minimize wait times. We are also investing in digital resources by purchasing additional titles in OverDrive, and we have increased the Hoopla monthly borrow limit. These popular e-resources and others have contributed greatly to our circulation gains but require no physical space in the library.
Was adding a second level considered?
Adding a second level had been considered at several points during the planning and design process. When the numbers were run, the cost of building up exceeded the cost of building out. For this reason, along with the inherent inaccessibility of a second floor in a public library, the library board chose to pursue a single-level design.
How many people does the library currently serve and what is the expected increase after expansion?
Last year, the library counted 212,189 in-person visits. Total program attendance was 36,936. Out of a population of 28,631 residents, 21,880 are Bethlehem library cardholders. The goal of the building project is to better serve this community and encourage those 6,751 residents who aren’t currently cardholders to explore their library resources.
Did the trustees consider building a new library in a different location rather than rehabbing the existing building?
The board of trustees had that conversation early in the planning process and decided that the library’s current location was worth preserving due to its proximity to high-density neighborhoods and being within walking distance of both the middle and high schools. A new build might have come in slightly under the cost of a full renovation, but potential sites for such a build within the school district are few and far between.
How will the asbestos removal take place, and will it be released into the air?
There are very strict guidelines regarding asbestos remediation in school district libraries, and all plans will be vetted by New York State Education Department to ensure compliance.
Will the library need to hire more staff to maintain the expanded space?
We do not anticipate an increased need for staffing. Over the years the board has carefully maintained a stable staffing level based on library use, keeping some positions unfilled if the demand is not there. That gives the library some flexibility in filling those positions specific to any need that might arise.
The planning process
How did the board reach out to the community to get feedback on what kind of space people were looking for in a future library?
In late 2018, the board began seeking feedback from the public about future library needs as part of their long-range planning process. They hired architects Butler, Rowland and Mays to help facilitate. The architects held community workshops and stakeholder meetings in November and December of 2019, followed by a public presentation in January 2020 to discuss the data that had been collected. In January and February 0f 2020, public polling was conducted inside the library through a “dot exercise.” In all, 1,000 data points were collected and presented in the Master Planning Facilities Report.
In 2022, following the pandemic, the planning process was restarted with architects from Ashley McGraw. Extensive outreach, public meetings and calls for feedback have taken place in the ensuing years to arrive at the library design the public is invited to vote on Dec. 12. Click here for a detailed timeline of those outreach efforts and notifications.
Why did the board choose not to go with a proposal from Butler, Rowland and Mays, and why is there such a difference in cost for the proposals?
The board contracted with Butler, Rowland and Mays in 2018 to provide a conceptual scheme for their long-range planning process. Those building concepts were never developed into an actual architectural design, and the numbers attached to them were very rough estimates that had not been calculated by a construction manager who would have a more nuanced view of the actual costs involved in dealing with the structural realities of a 50-year-old building.
Following the pandemic, the board looked at three architectural firms, including Butler, Rowland and Mays, for the design development phase. Following interviews, they chose to go with Ashley McGraw Architects, based on their experience with the recent renovation of the library at Bethlehem Central High School.
Both the architect and the construction manager were chosen by the board after an RFP (Request for Proposal) process. The Requests for Proposal were published in the library’s official newspaper, as well as mailed out to some known firms to solicit proposals.
Meeting rooms
Why does the library need a large conference space?
The library hosts large events once or twice a month, where patrons are routinely turned away due to lack of space, such as local history talks with the Bethlehem Historical Society, concerts and children’s activities – especially those featuring live animals or popular book characters. A large community room would allow us to comfortably accommodate those who would like to attend.
But it’s not the only way this space would be used. When not at its capacity, the community room can be reconfigured into multiple spaces that would hold smaller gatherings for the library or local community groups. This flexibility will allow multiple meetings or events to take place at the same time, easing scheduling for this in-demand service.
If community members or the library need a large meeting space, why can’t they use Town Hall or the high school and middle school auditoriums?
At this time, the Town of Bethlehem does not have any meeting spaces available for the public to reserve, other than outdoor pavilions and picnic areas. Click here to see what’s available. The library does have a very successful partnership with the town for larger co-sponsored events, such as the Seniors Prom at Town Hall and the Thursdays in the Park series at Elm Avenue Park, but many other events are limited by time (no evenings or weekend availability) and/or staffing requirements.
The school district allows public use of its buildings for a fee, but availability and other restrictions limit the options. Click here to view their guidelines.
Where are the stats to show library use?
Library use stats are noted monthly in the director’s report to the board. They are also reported in an annual report to the public. The director’s reports are available online in the monthly board packets, and the annual report can be found on the Board of Trustees webpage.
The monthly reports show increasing story time attendance with Music and Movement events topping out at 82 for the month of October. Despite being held in the larger Community Room, children and families have been turned away due to crowding. The size of these programs have outgrown the current Story Hour Room. During the past year, other large programs have strained the capacity of the library, including a spring break event celebrating Mo Willems’ Elephant at Piggie, which brought in 250 attendees.
Study room demand is also increasing, with 448 study sessions and 867 users in the month of February alone.
Click here to access the director’s reports and annual report.
Parking and exterior
Why is the library tearing down the house on Borthwick for more parking space? Have other uses been considered?
The proposed building design uses the site at 59 Borthwick Ave. for a designated curbside pickup area, a service this community has embraced as essential since the pandemic. To do this, the house would be demolished. The Borthwick property was purchased in 2017 to address the library’s future capital needs and is currently used as off-site library storage. The library did consider alternate uses, but a structural analysis was conducted in 2020 that found the building was not suitable for library use due to the cost and difficulty of bringing it up to code. The curbside pickup loop will feature additional landscaping and green space, as well as a couple of additional spaces for parking.
How many parking spaces would be included in the renovated lot? Is there enough parking for a 250-person community room, and where would the overflow parking go?
The library currently has 117 spaces, and the building proposal would bring that number to 136. The library’s outdoor summer concert series has often reached a peak attendance of around 250 and has not experienced any issues with parking. Additional municipal parking is available at Town Hall, and because of the library’s accessibility to walkers and cyclists, many people use alternative transportation to get to our events. We believe the increase in spaces, along with overflow parking at Town Hall will more than accommodate these larger programs. The project will also bring more accessible spots closer to the library entrance.
How is this new building going to fit into the aesthetic of Olde Delmar?
The architects have been diligent about designing an exterior for the library that blends seamlessly with the current building while adding additional natural elements. We recognize that many people use our grounds to picnic and gather, and a landscape architect is working to make sure those park-like spaces are retained and enhanced. The planned geothermal HVAC system will also eliminate the noise and unsightly aspects of the current rooftop units.
Why aren’t solar panels part of the design?
Solar energy was evaluated as a complementary option. While the library project primarily focuses on geothermal for heating and cooling, the possibility of integrating solar panels to offset electricity use remains open for future consideration. This decision depends on site-specific factors, including roof space, solar exposure, and budgetary constraints.
Construction
What is the down time for this renovation? Will the library be closed for several months?
The library will remain open for most of the construction. At no time will it be closed more than a week or two, which would most likely take place during the asbestos remediation portion of the project. We recognized early on the importance of providing library services during the project and pursued a phased construction plan to allow us to do so. Phasing the construction does increase the overall project cost by about $1 million.
How will the library seek construction bids if the bond is approved on Dec. 12?
The library’s construction manager will publicly seek bids from the multiple contractors as directed under Wicks Law (New York General Municipal Law 101 which required NYS government agencies to hire separate contractors for specific types of work for any job over $500,000). The announcement seeking bids will be placed in the library’s official newspapers (Times Union and Spotlight) as well as the NYS Contract Reporter. Government bidding regulations are very strict and it is our construction manager’s job to ensure that this is done properly as the library does not have this expertise in-house.
Geothermal FAQs
Click here for the architects’ geothermal presentation.
What were the alternative HVAC options discussed?
The library originally looked at three different HVAC options for the proposed design. The first was a traditional gas-fired system like the current one. The second option would have used traditional rooftop handling units along with water source heat pumps. The third option, which the board chose to move forward with, is a geothermal option with distributed heat pumps.
The second option was quickly eliminated from the discussion because the estimated yearly energy cost was well above both the traditional gas-fired system and the geothermal/heat pump system.
The construction costs for a traditional system are estimated at $3.8 million compared to approximately $5 million for the geothermal installation, however, engineers have identified refundable federal tax credits and rebates from National Grid that would bring the construction costs for geothermal in line with a gas-fired system. The geothermal system is also estimated to save $13,500 in yearly energy costs.
While the costs associated with this part of the building project certainly played a part in the discussion, the library also feels a strong commitment to sustainability in our community, and the proposed system would reduce total site energy consumption by 61.5%.
What is the expected longevity of a geothermal system?
ASHRAE, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, estimates that the outdoor components, which make up the bulk of a geothermal system, have a lifespan of 50 or more years. The organization notes that the newer materials used in the ground loops perform so well that they come with a 50-year warranty but would likely last much longer due to being protected from the weather and other disturbances. A gas-fired HVAC system has a typical lifespan of 20-25 years.
Although natural gas is presently a cheaper fuel source than electricity, that is unlikely to be the case in the years ahead. Both federal and state governments have developed climate legislation to drastically reduce reliance on fossil fuels for energy consumption, and a geothermal system would position the library to be ahead of that shift.
Where will it be located?
The geothermal field would be located underneath the parking lot. The wells that make up the field will be entirely underground and not visible from the surface.