Mayor Hedlund appoints new construction committee for Tufts Library
Weymouth, MA – Mayor Robert Hedlund announced today the formation of a new Library Construction Committee to advise and assist the Office of the Mayor in design and construction a new Tufts Library. The 13-member committee will oversee all phases of the project, with day-to-day management carried out by Town staff and future consultants.
The Library Construction Committee includes the following members as residents and/or staff of the Town of Weymouth:
Designation/ Expertise | Name and Title | Additional Qualifications |
|---|---|---|
Library Director | Robert MacLean, Library Services Director (Vice Chair) | |
Local Official who is MCPPO-certified | John MacLeod, Asset Management Director | Commission on Disabilities Member |
Administrator or Manager | Ted Langill, Chief of Staff | Local Official knowledgeable in Town finances |
Board of Library Trustees member | Cathy Torrey, Board of Trustees of the Public Library Chair | Weymouth Historical Commission Member |
Resident or Local Official with grant management experience | Nicholas Bulens, Administrative Services Coordinator (Chair) | Project management experience |
Resident with library building experience | Dennis Corcoran, Retired Hingham Library Director | |
Resident knowledgeable in K-12 education | Mark Jennings, PhD, South Shore Christian Academy Head of School | Representative of project abutter (South Shore Christian Academy) |
Resident with youth and family outreach connections | Jennifer Barrett Siegal, Old South Union Church Pastor | |
Parent knowledgeable in the library's programs and services | Rebecca Barbara, In Memory of Me Tanner B, Inc. Director | Local business owner; Fundraising experience |
Resident knowledgeable in the library's mission and function | Matthew Tallon, Board of Trustees of the Public Library Member | Idlewell Neighborhood Association President |
Town Council Representative | Thomas J. Lacey, District Two Councilor | |
School Committee Member (past or present) | Diana Flemer, School Committee Member | Knowledgeable in the library's programs and services |
Planning Board Member (past or present) | George Berg, Planning Board Member | Licensed Architect; Redevelopment Authority Member |
In July of 2017, The Town received a $12,085,184 Provisional Construction Grant through the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program (MPLCP) to design and construct a new Tufts Library. In October of 2017, the Weymouth Town Council voted unanimously to accept the grant and authorized borrowing upwards of $33,061,309 for the total project cost.
Since February of 2016, a small working group of Town staff and residents has served informally as the Mayor’s Library Construction Committee, charged with the responsibility of preparing the Town’s MPLCP application as well as a schematic design for the new building. With the project fully-funded and ready for development, the expanded committee will secure the best possible input for a well-designed, 21st-century public library.
The Tufts Library project will demolish the existing building, now more than 50 years old, and rebuild the library with an additional 17,000 square feet to provide an expanded children’s department, a new local history center, 10 study rooms, a variety of programming areas for different user groups, a comprehensive technology infrastructure designed for flexibility and expansion, and a suite of community meeting rooms available for after-hours use.
“The current Tufts Library has served Weymouth for more than half a century. It was a modern library for its time but has none of the flexibility we need to provide residents with 21st-century services,” said Mayor Robert Hedlund. “Today’s libraries double as community centers, and that’s we plan to build – a public building with places for people and something for everyone. I am confident that the new Library Construction Committee will bring together the experience and voices necessary to make this project a success.”
The Library Construction Committee will hold its first public meeting today at 7:00 pm in the Tufts Library’s Jones Room. The committee’s first task is to advise the Mayor on selection of an Owner’s Project Manager (OPM), who will serve as the Town’s agent in managing all phases of the library building project.
On December 4th, the Town received 12 responses from OPM firms interested in undertaking the project. The committee intends to shortlist three firms for interviews, and provide a final recommendation for hire by January 10, 2018.