NORTHAMPTON — Forbes Library will embark on an ambitious new enhancement to its outdoor community space later this month by breaking ground on a new outdoor performance stage.

The stage, which will be on the library’s west lawn, represents a bolstered commitment to Forbes’ long history of bringing community members together through outdoor programming, which began more than a century ago with community singing events and continues today with concerts, movies and more. The exact date for the groundbreaking has not yet been determined.

“For years, I’ve been watching us doing programming outside,” said Lisa Downing, director of Forbes Library. She recalled running long extension cords out from the library onto the lawn, and laying down pallets to create a flat surface for certain performances.

“We’ve been really creative to make things happen out there, but this will just make it so much easier,” she mused.

H|AI Architecture of Northampton designed the stage to be accessible, open air and covered. It will have ramps to provide handicap access to both the stage and viewing area, and will also include electricity, lighting and a metal roof outfitted with the solar panels that will power it.

Downing emphasized that a major goal of the stage is to be as useful as possible for as many community members as possible, so accessibility has been a dominant focus.

Campora Construction, based in Ludlow, will construct the stage, which is estimated to cost $289,000. Funding for the project comes from ARPA funds distributed by the city, a state earmark from state Sen. Jo Comerford, a gift by the Friends of Forbes Library and more than $125,000 in private donations.

Downing explained that because the structure is intended to be built of steel, there is some uncertainty around the potential future impact of tariffs on anticipated construction costs, but she hopes that construction will be able to proceed unfettered.

Additional funds are being raised to add audiovisual equipment and landscaping, but Downing said that plans for landscaping are still being solidified and therefore there is no final cost estimate for this portion of the project yet. This part of the project will be funded in part by the library’s annual day of giving on April 1, during which the library will accept online donations that can help to offset costs.

One feature Downing said the library hopes to include with the stage is a large, pull-down movie screen for the various film screenings hosted at Forbes.

The stage will be accessible for use by community groups as well as library programming, similar to community spaces within the library’s walls. Construction will be completed in June and the stage will be ready to open for community use later in the summer.

When it comes to the variety of events that Forbes has hosted on its lawn, Downing said “you name it, we’ve done it out there.” With the addition of this stage, she only sees those offerings expanding.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.