On September 16th, at 9:30 pm, after all the votes had been counted, the Ossining Public Library received approval for a $30 million proposal. What on earth does the 20-year-old building need this amount of money for? The proposal highlights exactly what needs to be done with the money for the building, such as:

• Repairing the building’s Northwest corner, which has shown signs of bulging, gaps, cracks, and movement of the wall facing
• A total reconfiguration of the parking lot to allow for more accessible parking and routes to enter the building, as well as new ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) parking spaces with a pedestrian walk on the upper level
• Replacing the structures’ outdated and nonexistent HVAC equipment to improve comfort and allow for hours not to be cut short or closures altogether due to extreme weather
• Relocation of the Teen Room to the Lower Level of the building, allowing for a larger collection of resources along with more programming spaces and a more suitable environment for noise and activities, preserving the quieter area on the second floor
• A larger lobby and relocated front desk to provide access for more seating and activity space on the first floor 
• Much-needed roof repairs 
• Whole remodeling for restrooms

While this doesn’t highlight all of the proposals that were made, the Ossining Public Library required recommendations from several engineers and architects who determined what would be the best approach and estimated the total cost. The whole remodel would converge through many phases, the first running from May of 2026 for a whole year, repairing the wall and drainage work, as well as addressing the parking lot and other repaving. The second phase would run from April 2027 to September of the following year. This phase would include the installation of the new HVAC system, along with the roof repairs, health and safety improvements (restrooms and other accommodations), relocation of Teen Room, and finally the expansion of the front and back entrances along with the addition of the meeting rooms and program spaces. The library would stay open during its initial wave of construction but may need to rearrange and relocate during its second phase, including its parking and entrances. The average tax impact is expected to be about $184 increase allocated for the massive project at a rate of about $15.33 per month for all who reside in the town, village, and surrounding areas of Ossining, INCLUDING the small portions of New Castle and Yorktown. 

For more than 130 years, the Ossining Public Library has been a staple in the community, with its iconic time capsule and hosting many famous names, from Art Garfunkel to having connections with Andrew Carnegie who supplied the library with initial grants and sums of money. With deep roots within the community, does the 30 million dollar price tag sound reasonable or not? Are there other renovations that you think should’ve been considered in the proposal?