AMHERST — Removal of two large Norway spruce trees on the grounds of the Amherst Historical Society, followed by the placement of work trailers, dumpsters and port-a-potties, are signs of the imminent work to get underway on the expansion and renovation of the Jones Library.
Crews with Fontaine Brothers Inc. of Springfield, the general contractor for the $46.1 million project at 43 Amity St. that will include expanding the building from 48,000 square feet to 63,000 square feet and removing the three-story addition built in 1993, got on site Monday, with the removal of trees and shrubs the first order of business.
Bob Peirent, special capital projects coordinator for the town, told the Jones Library Building Committee at its July 14 meeting that mobilization for the contractor, and cutting down trees and taking away vegetation, could occur once the town had finalized receiving a $1.1 million Economic Development Initiative grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“Effectively you have to move things out of the way before you can start putting things in place, like fences and things like that,” Peirent said.
Fontaine hired an independent arborist to examine trees that will be maintained and to consult with an arborist hired by Amherst Historical Society, which is in the neighboring Simeon Strong House at 67 Amity St.
The Norway spruce toward the front of the lawn of the Historical Society is unsafe at around 40 feet up, Peirent said, and it is likely that one or more stems could drop off and cause property damage. Its removal simplifies logistics for construction, Peirent said.
A second spruce tree tight to the Strong House along North Prospect Street will also come down, at no cost to the Historical Society, Peirent said.
All of this tree work will not affect the large sycamore, known as the Groom Tree, which has stood in front of the Strong House since the mid-19th century. Though the Bride Tree was removed in the 1950s, the Groom Tree, a sapling before Amherst was chartered as a town in 1759, remains.
“The most critical tree is the sycamore,” Peirent said, adding that it’s located a long way from the easement where Fontaine will be working and should be unaffected.
With work getting underway, Town Manager Paul Bockelman told the building committee that Fontaine would be responsible for some of the conversations with neighbors about the project, though Peirent recently talked to the owner of the CVS Pharmacy property at 76 North Pleasant St. That property includes the parking lot that abuts the Jones Library site.
One question from neighbors is whether there will be work taking place on the weekend or holidays. Peirent said the normal schedule spelled out in the contract is Monday to Friday, though there are opportunities to make some exceptions.
Trey Logie and Brady Doyle, project managers at Colliers International, which is acting as the owner’s project manager, will also speak with neighbors.
The finished project will upgrade the building to meet current library standards, address safety and accessibility concerns and improve and expand children’s and special collections facilities. There will also be dedicated space for the English as a Second Language program, for teens and cultural artifacts, like the Civil War tablets. The building will also be net-zero by eliminating the use of fossil fuels and purchasing off-site renewable energy.
The Jones Library is currently operating from the Slobody Building at 101 University Drive. That location is open during regular hours with full library services offered.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
