The Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, announced Thursday it had awarded the Town of Harvard a $200,000 grant through its Cultural Facilities Fund Program towards repair and replacement of the roof, gutters, and upper brickwork of the old library, lowering the amount of money the Select Board will request at Town Meeting Saturday to complete the project.
The grant reduces the cost of the project borne by taxpayers to an estimated $1 million and lowers the additional amount the town must borrow to $676,134.
The town already approved a request to borrow $480,000 for a new roof at Annual Town Meeting in 2019, but that was before the extent of the damage caused by the leaks was fully understood. At a Special Town Meeting that fall, the town voted to apply just over $144,000 in bond premiums to the project, reducing the amount the town would need to borrow. Article 14 of this year’s 2021 warrant asks to borrow the remaining amount needed to fully fund replacements and repair of the 100-plus year old roof.
In a Friday press release, Tim Bragan, town administrator, and Chris Ryan, director of community and economic development, wrote that the grant “signifies that the Town, through its direct relationship and collaboration with Fivesparks—a community arts and culture nonprofit operating from the Hapgood building—provides significant public value through the programs and services offered to Harvard and the surrounding region.”
According to a Fivesparks spokesperson, the organization has hosted over 500 programs, classes, and art exhibits since its opening in 2017.
For more details on the old library roof project and Article 14, see the story in this week’s issue of the Harvard Press: https://harvardpress.com/News/News-Articles/article-14-old-library-roof-replacement-into-the-fray-once-more.
