Topping-off ceremony to mark progress on Jones Library project

AMHERST — Piece by piece, a crane at the 43 Amity St. site lifts steel beams into place, with workers assembling the frame and decking for the sizable three-story addition to the Jones Library.

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Nearby, on the roof of the original 1928 building, crews with general contractor Fontaine Brothers Inc. of Springfield continue to get slate in place, work that has continued throughout the coldest winter days as the workers await the arrival of so-called overbuild steel that will connect the new construction to what was built almost a century ago.

Stepping inside the original building, the continuing renovation is evident, with ceilings and interior walls removed from many spaces, and large holes cut through the floors. But historic fireplaces that have given the library a home-like feel remain intact, the main entrance staircase is covered in plywood to protect it from damage, and wood paneling and other familiar details await restoration.

Nearly eight months into the $46.1 million project that will enlarge the building from 48,000 square feet to 63,000 square feet, Library Director Sharon Sharry says she is thrilled with the progress.

“For me to come here, it’s breathtaking in all the good ways,” Sharry said.

All of the work so far on the project will be marked by a celebratory topping-off ceremony on Feb. 27 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. from the neighboring Strong House at 67 Amity St., when the public will be able to see a ceremonial final steel beam be put in place.

That white-painted beam will be in the Amity Street parking lot, next to the Amherst Cinema, for about 48 hours starting Wednesday morning, with markers attached to it so that people can put their signatures or comments on it.

Mobilization on the project, set to be completed around this time in 2027, started July 1, 2025 and, aside from getting all the steel in place by early March, the next milestone will be making the building weathertight. That will likely happen sometime in May.

For now, Karl Beaumier, project superintendent for Fontaine Brothers, said the work is constant throughout the site’s new and old parts.

For the slate roof, the contractor had to painstakingly scrutinize the slate to get the right color match, a challenge due to the original slate coming from a quarry in West Virginia that is no longer in operation, Beaumier said. Fontaine was able to identify an identical slate that comes from Spain.

The slate also is time-consuming to install due to the use of smaller pieces the higher up the slate goes. “It’s been very complicated,” Beaumier said.

The existing windows will be refurbished, too, with the interior trim to stay in place but the operable part, the sash, to be outfitted with insulated glass.

Much of the classic woodwork inside has been taken down for later reuse. “All of the woodwork Fontaine has preserved beautifully,” Sharry said.

In fact, 80% of the woodwork is being retained. “We hope to repurpose most of the wood,” Beaumier said.

Sharry said she’s been impressed by the care used to keep the historic fabric of the building by Beaumier and the crew. “He’s here to do a really good job and wants the project to shine,” Sharry said. “He’s doing right by the building.”

In what has always been the library’s children’s area, staircases have been removed, but some of the cabinets still remain. Eventually, this original section will join up with space in the new section, tripling its size.

On the second floor, which had included the tech services area and the public Amherst Room, two quiet reading rooms are being created, each with a fireplace. “These will be really pretty spaces,” Sharry said.

Looking out from what are still windows, but will become entranceways into the new second floor, Sharry points to a future reference room and the library’s first-ever teen room.

Lisa DeGrace, development director for the Jones Library Capital Campaign, said that space also will have patrons enjoying the brick walls and section of slate roof of the original building, marrying the old with the new.

On the third floor of the original building, the Goodwin Room, with its cathedral ceilings, will become a place for public events.

“It will be another reservable meeting room,” Sharry said, noting that a chandelier that has been in special collections will be returned as a centerpiece.

Nearby, several small rooms and narrow passageways have been opened up, to become more workspace for staff.

Beaumier said what workers found during the project is that the Jones is a solid building with few signs of any deterioration to the century-old steel beams encased in concrete, designed to protect against fires. “This is one of the first attempts at this type of building,” Beaumier said.

The reaction from the public when the library reopens in 2027 should be positive.

“That part will be really rewarding,” facilities supervisor George Hicks-Richards said.

“I feel like it’s going to really show up for people,” DeGrace said. “They’re not going to only see, but feel, the difference.”

Meanwhile, the capital campaign, as of Feb. 1, has raised over half of its $14.8 million portion of the $46.1 million funding for the project, with $7 million still left to bring the project to a successful conclusion. A sign on the work fence surrounding the project gives the public regular updates on the campaign.

The advocates say that when the renovation and expansion are finished, the first timne the library has undergone an improvement project since the early 1990s, it will make the Jones Library one of the most climate-friendly buildings in Amherst. Most of the 1928 building will be restored, and expanded programming space will be available to meet current and emerging needs for all ages and populations, including the English as a Second Language program and special collections.

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