New Lynnfield Library
Cost & Impact
An essential part of any construction project is understanding the total project cost and the impact that the project will have on residents and existing structures in the town.
This page is meant to serve as a source of accurate information related to the Cost and Impact of the Lynnfield Library Building Project, to help all Lynnfield residents make an informed decision at at Fall Town Meeting on Monday, October 16.
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Impact to Taxes
The projected tax impact to the average Lynnfield household is $24.50 per month ($294 per year), based on a debt exclusion that would be repaid over 30 years.
This would give the Town of Lynnfield $25 million in funds for the Library Building Project, in addition to the $9 million granted by the MBLC. These funds would fully pay for the Total Project Cost of the Library Building Project, which is currently estimated at $34 million. See the next section for a more detailed breakdown of the Total Project Cost of the Library Building Project.
At Town Meeting on Monday, October 16, the Town of Lynnfield will vote on an article to accept the $9 million in funds available through the MBLC provisional grant. If the article passes with a 2/3 majority, a ballot vote for a debt exclusion will be conducted the first or second week of December 2023. See the Funding Sources section on this page for more details on the planned funding for this project.
Total Project Cost of the Library Building Project
The estimated total project cost to build a new Lynnfield Public Library at Reedy Meadow is $34 million dollars.
This cost includes:
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$31 million to construct the new Library
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$2 million to repair the current Library building, to make it suitable for future Town use (see "Current Library Building" section below for more detail)
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$1 million to prepare the site at the Reedy Meadow Golf Course for construction (see "Reedy Meadow" section below for more detail)
Roughly $9 Million of this cost would be paid for by funding available from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC). The remaining $25 million would be funded via a debt exclusion that would be repaid over 30 years.
The debt exclusion equates to $24.50 per month ($294 per year) for the average Lynnfield household.
Funding Sources: MBLC and Debt Exclusion
There are 2 sources of funding planned for the Library Building Project:
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MBLC Provisional Grant - The MBLC has awarded Lynnfield $9,077,464 in funding to construct a new Lynnfield Public Library. This includes:
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$8,193,792 as part of a provisional grant to the Town of Lynnfield
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$883,672 to off-set rising construction costs
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The Town must vote at Town Meeting on Monday, October 16 to accept or reject this provisional grant.
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Debt Exclusion - This leaves $24,922,536 of the Total Project Cost not covered by MBLC funding. This amount would be funded via a debt exclusion that would be repaid over 30 years.
The debt exclusion equates to $24.50 per month ($294 per year) for the average Lynnfield household. If the Town votes to accept the MBLC grant at Town Meeting, a townwide ballot vote for the debt exclusion would take place in early December.
Additional Green Library Incentive (GLI) funds
In addition, as noted on the MBLC press release "the MBLC has also approved Green Library Incentive (GLI) awards for each Library construction project that receives LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. These projects will each receive 2-3.5% of the grant award [which equates to $163,876 - $286,783 for Lynnfield] in additional state funds administered by the MBLC."
In other words - if the new Lynnfield Library Building receives LEED certification after it's built, Lynnfield would receive up to $286,783 in additional MBLC funds.
Impact to Reedy Meadow golf course
The Reedy Meadow golf course will remain open before, during and after construction of the new Library. In order to construct a new building on the site, several existing structures need to be relocated, built, or demolished.
The project cost includes $1 million to prepare the Reedy Meadow site for construction, for items such as:
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Site preparation for new Library structure
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Demolish or relocate barn
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Demolish Bancroft/Danforth House
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Demolish caretaker's house (not occupied in 10 years)
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Relocate refueling station for golf equipment
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Remediate entire parcel of hazardous materials
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Construct parking with 50 paved spaces connected to Library’s 70 space lot
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Build new utility shed to house golf equipment
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Landscaping for new Library
In short - the $1 million cost will prepare the site for construction of a new Library, while minimizing the impact on golf course operations.
Impact to Current Library Building
It's important to remember that if the Lynnfield Public Library moves into a new building, the current Library Building at 18 Summer Street will be empty.
The Total Project Cost for the Library Building also includes $2 million to repair the numerous maintenance issues with the current building for future use as of yet unknown.
As of right now, the Town of Lynnfield considers the existing Library a part of the colonial center, and would repurpose the current building for community use. There are no plans to sell the building for private use, or to tear down the current structure.