AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP) – A renovation project of the Jones Library building on Amity Street in Amherst is steadily moving forward.
This project has been years in the making with a goal of preserving historical elements of the library, while also making it more accessible. The permitting process is underway, and as of Tuesday, the Amherst Historical Commission has approved a demolition permit to be issued. This will allow for the 1993 addition to the library to be demolished, pushing the renovation process along.
22News spoke with Library Director Sharon Sharry who broke down the general timeline, “We’ll be doing the planning board in October. Eventually, we’ll be able to get a building permit. Town Council is going to do another vote because the price has gone up a bit. And we hope to go out to bid in January or so and that’ll take a couple of months and then construction can start March or April of next year.”
The bidding process involves a search for 29,000 square feet of indoor space that the library can operate within once demolition and construction begins. Sharry is hopeful it will be in Amherst with all departments located at the same space.
The over $40 million project is expected to be completed by December of 2025.
Kaelee Collins is a reporter who has been a part of the 22News team since 2022. Follow Kaelee on X @kaelee_collins and view her bio to see more of her work.
