Possible Options Presented For New Orleans Library

ORLEANS – Attendees of a public forum last week at the Snow Library got an early look at what a new library building might look like, and where.

The Snow Library feasibility task force and the library board of trustees hosted the Nov. 14 session, where very preliminary design options were presented for the library’s existing location near the intersection of Main Street and Route 28 and in the area of the town hall annex at 139 Main St.

The task force secured $180,000 through town meeting in May to conduct a feasibility study to look at options for a new building. Oudens Ello Architecture of Boston has been tapped to help lead the feasibility study for the task force.

Matt Oudens said his firm has worked on 17 library projects in the last 16 years. That includes the new Eastham Library, which became the first net zero renewable energy library building in Massachusetts upon its completion in 2016.

“This building I think typifies our approach to library design, which is we’re trying to create buildings that are great for their intended use, but they’re also just pleasant buildings to be in,” he told attendees of last week’s forum.

Library officials in Orleans are looking to build a new 24,000-square-foot facility, which is more than 40 percent larger than the existing library. Built in 1952, the library was renovated in 1977 and again in 1992. But the building has become too small to meet the library’s current programming needs, especially as demand grows for the building's use by other community groups.

Steve Gass, who chairs the task force, said renovating the current library would be too costly, as the work would exceed 30 percent of the building’s $1.7 million assessed value. Because of that, the building would have to be brought entirely up to code.

“Essentially we are proposing building a state-of-the-art library for the town of Orleans that will take us through the rest of this century,” he said.

Two Options

Oudens first presented a schematic for a 20,000-square-foot building on land at 139 Main St. abutting parcels operated by the Centers for Culture and History in Orleans. The schematic also included parking space for 80 vehicles.

Plans showed a common outdoor space between the proposed library building and the existing CHO campus.

“So you have this collective cultural hub across from town hall with the potential to create some meaningful connections across School Road from town hall,” he said.

But the location is more removed from the library’s current downtown location, making it less accessible to pedestrians. Oudens also noted that there are other parties interested in using the space, including the CHO, which plans to design and build a permanent building for housing the CG36500 lifesaving boat.

The preferred choice for library officials is to build a new library in the footprint of the current building. Oudens presented three preliminary design options for a building of approximately 20,000 square feet. One of the key features of the designs involves moving parking to the rear of the building closer to neighboring Friends' Marketplace, which would allow the new library to be situated closer to the Village Green.

If designed properly at 67 Main St. the new library could better integrate with fields, schools and other town space in the immediate vicinity, Oudens said.

“If there’s a way in the development of a new library building on that site to create a universally accessible path from Main Street, the site really becomes a gateway to that larger property, which we think could be a real amenity to the town,” he said.

The design of the new building will likely welcome plenty of natural light. Many of Ouden Ello’s other projects feature large rooms with floor to ceiling windows. The idea of a net zero building also caught the interest of some in attendance. Oudens said the inclusion of that feature will be up to the town, but Orleans’ standing as a green community opens the door for the concept to be included as part of the design.

Right now, a new library is envisioned to have multiple levels, Oudens said. With that, decisions have to be made going forward as to what programs and spaces to include on the main and upper levels.

One resident asked if there are plans for a basement for the new library. Oudens said while not an ideal space for programming, a basement could help satisfy the library’s storage needs.

While library officials’ desire for a new 24,000-square-foot facility builds significantly upon what currently exists, some asked how that space will hold up in the years to come. As libraries continue to evolve in their functionality, Oudens said it’s important to build new facilities to be flexible and adaptive.

“It’s difficult to know frankly where libraries are going,” he said. “We’ve seen a tremendous shift in library programming over the last decade.”

Next Steps

Library officials plan to hold another public forum on the project in January. By the end of February, the committee expects to have a finished feasibility study that it can present to the board of trustees, the select board and the rest of the community, Gass said.

The committee is also in the process of applying for a construction grant through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. The competitive grant, if awarded, would cover between 30 and 40 percent of the project’s estimated $24 million construction cost.

“We are going to do our best job to get this grant,” said Joan Francolini, who chairs the library board of trustees. “We are really going after it hard.”

The town would learn whether or not it received the grant next fall. In the meantime, an article will be prepared for the annual town meeting in May seeking support for the project in the form of a $150,000 funding commitment for the project’s design. That commitment is required as a condition of receiving the grant, Gass said.

“If we don’t get the grant, then we’ll be faced with coming back to the town potentially and asking for full funding,” Gass said.

Future town meeting articles would seek design funding in May 2025 and construction funding in May 2026, according to a timeline presented at last week’s forum.

Email Ryan Bray at ryan@capecodchronicle.com