Waltham Library renovation plan moves forward 

Kelly Linehan, director of the Waltham Public Library, informed the City Council via Zoom at its Tuesday meeting that the Waltham Public Library Renovation Concept 6 design has been approved by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

As a result, the city is in a position to secure an advance of $19,045,750 in state funding for the library renovation, including an initial payment of $4 million scheduled for this year, contingent upon the City Council’s authorization of total project costs not to exceed $79 million.

The council voted unanimously to approve the authorization and take the next step. “This action does not indicate approval of the final design or a commitment to fully fund the project. It’s a procedural step to advance to the state grant process and access the funding,” Linehan said.

With this approval, the Waltham building team can now continue to develop and refine the schematic plan for the new library and make further refinements if necessary.

The projected cost of approximately $79 million for the renovation was determined by the library’s architect and CHA Consulting in cooperation with a professional cost estimator from the MBLC. 

The renovation will add 29,000 square feet of space – an increase equivalent to almost two-thirds of the building’s current 45,000 square feet.

The current Waltham Public Library was built in 1915 and was not designed to support modern-day technology infrastructure. It was last renovated in the early 1990s, just before the internet boom.  

A once-in-a-generation investment

Committee members had questions regarding the cost of the renovation and library parking 

Ward 1 Councilor Anthony LaFauci cited the new Belmont Library, which was torn down, rebuilt and opened in late January at a cost of $40 million, as a comparison.

Linehan said, unlike Belmont, Waltham worked with the MBLC and included a 30-year growth projection for the library renovation based on detailed demographic and planning data such as population growth, escalation of construction costs, and long-term programming needs.

In addition to upfront construction costs, the Waltham plan includes what it will take to operate the library for decades. “It’s a once-in-a-generation investment,” Linehan said.

Ward 7 Councilor Paul Katz, who was not at the meeting, sent a statement to the council saying he supports the library renovation project but is concerned about parking.

“It is important that the library continues to serve residents from all areas of the city and surrounding communities, and the reality is that these visitors drive from a distance and must be able to park,” Katz said in his statement.

At the meeting, Councilor Bill Hanley said he had similar feedback from his constituents. He made a request that the library design team explore all opportunities for both on-site and surrounding options to increase parking. The request was approved.

For the next phase, the Waltham Library team will focus on refining the schematic design and identifying opportunities to improve overall efficiency within the plan, Linehan said.