THE FACADE OF the historic Ilsley Public Library remains unchanged in the plans for a major renovation and expansion of the 100-year-old building.
Image courtesy of Ilsley Public Library
It’s time to vote on the bond to renovate and expand Ilsley Public Library!
Next Tuesday, May 7, is the big day — polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the town offices on Main Street.
Want to vote early? No problem. Just pop into the Middlebury Town Clerk’s office between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. any weekday before 7 p.m. next Tuesday.
And, yes, you do have to be a Middlebury resident to vote on this bond.
I will be voting yes. I love the Ilsley. My family has spent countless hours in the library since my kids were born. Both babies learned to crawl in the children’s room. They learned letters and numbers and how to sing and wiggle at Miss Tricia’s storytime. It’s where we celebrate Noon Year’s Eve and the Lunar New Year. It’s where my kids work on sewing and movie-making projects, and it’s where they find their friends.
But the building is 100 years old — and it shows. The basement (aka the children’s room) periodically floods. The boiler sometimes breaks. I long ago crushed my kids’ dreams of riding the elevator down to the children’s room when I learned that it frequently gets stuck. The front steps are often closed in winter because ice makes them treacherous. And the rear entrance requires folks to leave their strollers at the door (or risk a ride in that janky elevator).
We need a library building that can actually support the many ways our community uses it.
The renovated and expanded library will have updated systems, much more accessible entrances, and best of all, double the space for children. There will be a “Wiggle Room” where the youngest patrons can crawl about to their heart’s content; a dedicated room for crafts and activities; and separate spaces for middle and high school students. Plus, an at-grade entry with the children’s room right inside the door.
And a rooftop patio!
All while keeping the historic facade unchanged.
PLANS FOR THE expanded library include a rooftop patio!
The project is expected to cost just under $17 million, but thanks to the local option tax, Middlebury property taxpayers will only need to shoulder around $4.4 million of it.
According to the Addison Independent, a 20-year, $4.4 million bond would add $117 annually for the owner of a $300,000 home in Middlebury. In the case of a 30-year bond, it would be $98 annually for the same homeowner.
This is a good deal.
Construction can begin in 2025 and be completed in 2026.
So, where would library programs take place until then? The National Bank of Middlebury has invited the Ilsley to temporarily relocate its public facing operations — rent-free — to the first floor of the bank’s Main Street building. Read more here.
Learn more about the project in the video below.