The Ilsley Public library renovation and expansion project is at an exciting place in the schematic design process, and we would like to share progress plans with the community. Over the past several months, our professional design team, ReArch Company and Wiemann Lamphere Architects, have been working hard to refine plans for the library renovation and expansion, responding to community input received over the summer as well as working through technical site challenges.

The design team will be hosting an Open House at the library on Saturday, December 9th, from 9 am -12 pm. The current designs will be displayed on posters, and a member of the professional design team will be present to give overviews, and answer your questions. Our goal is to review recent design developments and talk through your impressions of the proposed solutions. A comment cards box will also be available to record any thoughts you wish to share. Significant revisions you will see at the Open House include:
• A solution that will save (and possibly even add) parking spaces.
• Changes to the new Main Street entrance, which reduces overall square footage and invites passersby to the new accessible entrance while showcasing the 1924 historic building.
• Interior design developments that activate the original 1924 building as a multi-use space while honoring its historic fabric. This space promises to become Middlebury's great room.
• Reorganizing of surrounding spaces to allow the main floor children's room to significantly expand its services.

I want to stress that we are still less than 20 percent through the design process. The plans are far from ready for construction. Our goal with this schematic design phase is to develop the plans enough to be able to confidently determine a budget estimate for a bond vote. Once the designs reach that point, we will pause the design process to focus on funding. Once funding is secured, we will move into design development, and there will be ample opportunity for additional input and refinement at that time.

For now, I hope you will be able to attend the Open House on December 9th. If you are unable to attend but would like to arrange to see the drawings, please reach out to me directly at dana.hart@ilsleypubliclibrary.org to schedule a time to come and look at the drawings later in December.

Event Info

Nov 27, 2024, 4:30 to 8 PM

Dec 2, 2024, 6:30 to 8 PM

Dec 4, 2024, 7 to 9 PM