Moffat Library of Washingtonville Restore. Renew. Re-Imagine…

Moffat Library: a little history  1887: Library built in by David Moffat as gift to hometown  s: Maintained from memberships & donations  1950s: Library fell on hard times  1957: Town of Blooming Grove “bought” building for $1 from Moffat Library Association, with agreement that the Town would maintain the building & the library would reside in part of the building along with Town offices.  1995: Library became a school district library, serving the residents of the Washingtonville Central School District  : Building deteriorated. Serious roof damage/leaking over time due to limited maintenance.

Before the Flood …(Interior photo taken 2010) Ceiling (Rec Office)

Ceiling “Fix” = A Bucket

Before the Flood: (interior photo taken 2010) Library Teen Area – Water Damaged Ceiling Tile caused by roof leaks

Before the Flood: (interior photo taken 2010) Library – Teen Area – Water damage from Roof leaks (above ceiling tiles)

Before the Flood: (interior photo taken 2010) Library Teen Area – New Ceiling Tile “Fix” for roof leaks and water damage

Before the Flood… (Exterior photo taken 2010) Clocktower: Rotting wood framing; clock in disrepair

Before the Flood… (Exterior photo taken 2010) Rotting portico columns & framing

Before the Flood… (Exterior photo taken 2010) Rec Dept Roof – Raised Portion of Flat Roof, Above Restrooms Grass, Moss and Vegetation Growing on Roof; Shingles broken

After the flood…  August 2011: Hurricane Irene hit; Basement flooded which damaged all building systems, mold set in. Building closed indefinitely. Library displaced.  October 2011: Through donated space from local businessman, Jim Smith, Library relocated to temporary location in Campbell Hall. Reopened on Oct 17 with limited services.  2012: Town received insurance $ and FEMA $ and makes basement repairs.  Now: Building still uninhabitable due to many years of neglect (roof damages/mold/etc.)  2013: Town of Blooming Grove “sells” building back to Moffat Library for $1

2013 : Library owns a building that is in need of major repair

Current Building – Where Do We Stand? Recreation Dept Offices Issues (1970s addition) : Flooding Mold Ceiling collapsed in restrooms 3 feet lower than rest of building – non ADA compliant Very poor condition Not salvageable Library (1960s addition) : Extensive leaking/water damage due to roof issues Mold Salvageable Library (1990s addition) : Some leaking/water damage due to roof issues Useable

What Do We Do Now???... Let’s do what librarians do best - research!!!  Community Survey – developed a survey for residents and area business owners to find out what services and resources they wanted for their library. Posted in library and on website. Collected input from 200 community members.  Building Committee formed to develop a plan for the historic landmark Moffat Library building.  Committee researched and interviewed 5 architects with expertise in library and historic buildings  Visited area libraries in the NY metro area that had been recently renovated and/or built  Researched current and future trends in library services, as well as business models of service …more…

…but wait, there’s more…  Held 2 open forums for public to have a discussion on how they envisioned library services going forward  Collected input from staff on library & community needs  Based on the input received from public, staff and experts in the field, Building Committee developed a Preliminary Historic Moffat Building Program document  Enlisted 2 architectural firms with extensive library & historic building experience to present preliminary design concepts (free of charge) based on the Building Program document.  Library Board hired Butler, Rowland & Mays based on their concept design presentation, expertise with library buildings and historic renovations.

Let’s do a comparison… Moffat Library of Washingtonville Library Population / Building Size Comparison ** Moffat Library of Washingtonville (Current) 24,399 8, * Moffat Library serves the 3 rd largest population in Orange County * Developed a fiscally conservative plan that serves our community needs (Generally accepted national standard for communities our size is 1 sq. ft. per person)

Biggest Need?? PARKING!!!  : Library purchased 2 Adjacent Parcels, which will allow the creation of a 30-space parking lot 2014: Received $65,000 NYS grant towards demolition & site work

Site Plan with Expanded Parking Lot Village-donated lot creates more parking Community Center: greenspace, walking paths Parking

Exterior Site Plan – Aerial View Village Center Parking – Congregate (village green) - Create foot traffic for local business, Within walking distance of schools – Come to village, stay in village

Interior Site Plan  Children’s Room & program area  Separate Teen Space  Room for Local History research & displays  Small meeting room for tutoring/ home office  Quiet reading areas  Large meeting room (up to 64 people)  Mechanicals brought up to main floor (to avoid flooding issue)  Adaptability to meet changing community needs

The Big Question: How much is this going to cost? 1. Reviewed several designs and designated elements that were essential 2. Chose a conservative plan that met community needs 3. Researched, interviewed 4 firms & hired U.W. Marx as the Construction Manager (of the 4 firms interviewed, they had the lowest bid and most extensive experience with this type of project) 4. Realistic construction costs were developed for the project by the construction manager based on the architectural plan

How much has the Library raised so far?  $500,000 from Library’s Existing Capital Building account  $65,241 from 2014 NYS Library Construction Grant (expect to apply for additional monies in 2015 & 2016)  $50,000 NYS grant secured by Senator Larkin  $6,750 from Private Donations  Actively pursuing any and all funding sources including NYSERDA incentives, grants, etc.  Fundraising will be ongoing TOTAL RAISED (to date): $621,991 Bond amount requested: up to $6,922,000 * * PLEASE NOTE: If additional monies are raised in the interim, the amount we will need to borrow will be less.

How much is this going to cost me?  Average Estimated Cost to a Homeowner with a home with a fair market value of $250,000 - $300,000 will be $55-80 per year per household ($0.15-$0.22/day) for 15 year life of bond * About $2.00 per week Examples:  Orchard Lake Park home valued at $114,500: $32.22/year  Vlg of Washingtonville home valued at $222,700: $62.62/year  Rock Tavern home valued at $270,600: $76.45/year

 A safe & productive space for teens to gather  Children’s room & activity space  Space for technology classes for all ages  Large space for community meetings & cultural events  Small conference space for business meetings & tutoring  More diversified programs for residents of all ages  Village Green space  Open access to resources in order to create a more informed and enlightened citizenry and improve our community’s quality of life… WHAT DO WE GET IN RETURN FOR OUR INVESTMENT? Library As Community Center:

Library as Economic Development Kickstarter:  Increased foot traffic in village  Economic improvement for businesses  Revitalized Downtown Area that attracts new businesses  Inviting Town Center  Higher Property Values  Additional Parking in village Stay in village, do business in village

For Now and For Our Future…

Renew, Restore & Re-Imagine… Moffat Library of Washingtonville