An overhead view of the proposed new library. Specs by Turner
New Canaan Library through many early design iterations sought to include the original 1913 building, the organization’s executive director said last week.
Yet in acquiring an adjacent South Avenue property in 2017, opening up new possibilities for the best possible design, as well as a fundraising feasibility study “and a careful assessment of the functional needs for the building and grounds, the design could no longer incorporate the original facade into the building within these parameters,” Lisa Oldham told members of the Planning & Zoning Commission during their regular meeting.
“The library then began to explore how it might retain the original structure, freestanding on-site,” Oldham said during the March 30 meeting, held via videoconference. “Several options for relocating it on the green were explored. In weighing these options, the library considered the following: First, the cost to rebuild the structure. The library sought estimates from several companies to preserve the viable remnants of the original library. Specifically, the front section and the east- and north-facing walls. And then to rebuild the whole at a reasonable standard of quality. These estimates have been updated with current pricing and information, and they’ve also been sent to a third-party for peer review. The estimates for this 1,300-square-foot building are around $3 million, plus significant additional costs due to contamination issues.”