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Mason Square Steering Committee

This page is intended to update the Springfield community about the project to replace the current Mason Square Branch Library, housed in the Urban League offices at 765 State Street, with a new building in the Mason Square neighborhood. The most recent information and meeting notes are posted first.

Mason Square Branch Special Meeting

The transcript from the special meeting held on February 25, 2009 regarding the Mason Square Branch Library, is available for download. (92 page PDF)

FINAL REPORT

July 24, 2007

Mayor Charles Ryan
Springfield City Hall
36 Court Street
Springfield, MA 01103

Dear Mayor (Charlie) Ryan,

I am pleased to inform you that the Library Steering Committee has completed its assigned task and hereby provide to you its report. The committee recommends that the new Mason Square Library branch be located at the properties at 727 State Street and North Side Monroe Street, commonly known as Muhammad's Mosque #13. The committee vote was 6 to 1 favoring the Mosque with the old Mason Square fire station as a stated 'strong' second choice. The remaining present member voted in the reverse.

The Process

As you know, the process began in February of this year and involved many hours of investigation and thoughtful consideration. Under the careful stewardship of James Morton, we made a concerted effort to keep our meetings open to and respectful of all expressed community concerns. Subsequently, I strove to follow his lead.

Early aspects of the process involved discussion of the Annie Curran endowment, history of the branch, features of a modern library, and the community's wish-list for the new facility. In that regard, we revisited the fact that the community suffers from the loss of the adult literacy services of "Read Write Now!", as there remains a waiting list for same. The wish-list as all of our activities may be found in the minutes of the meetings which are posted at http://www.springfieldlibrary.org/branches/mscommittee.html. I would encourage their review.

Among the sites that we visited and/or considered are:

• The current branch home and Urban League offices
• Dunbar Community Center
• The old Mason Square fire station
• Al Stafford Field (a.k.a. DeBerry playground)
• The vacant lot at King Street and Northampton Avenue (former MCDI garden)
• Former Urban League building (Dollar/Furniture Store)
• AIC Sears Library
• 9-11 Andrew Street
• The vacant lot at State and Montrose Streets
• The empty and occupied lots at Hayden Avenue (formerly D. Edward Wells Credit Union)
• 684 State Street (former Byron Funeral Home)
• Several other sites were mentioned in our deliberations and dismissed for reasons of distance away from the center of Mason Square, lack of availability, etc.

The committee also enjoyed the input of area students in the forms of a teacher's report of student focus group discussions and results of a survey conducted among students in Rebecca Johnson, DeBerry, and Homer Street Schools by the Mason Square Advisory Committee.

The narrowing of our focus in June involved a brief summary of the properties under consideration and a straw-poll by community members present which resulted in 17 votes for the fire station, 14 for the playground, and 8 for the 9-11 Andrew Street property. After the straw poll, I announced my recent awareness (preceding day) of the potential availability of Mosque. By a show of hands the room expressed a desire to tour and meet there if possible, which we did.

After touring the Mosque we received a more complete financial analysis of the short-listed properties (See Appendix A). Please consider that the figures apply to the minimal library footprint requirement of ~7,500 sf in order to have comparable estimates.

Figures are not provided for DeBerry playground due to the unknown of acquiring the property because it has been designated as parkland by the state legislature. A number of legal steps would need to be undertaken in order to get approval to take the land for a library. Steps include getting permission from the Park Commission, locating and acquiring a suitable parcel of land in the neighborhood to replace the land being taken, and receiving approval from 2/3 of the state legislature to make the change. Construction costs for a new 7,500 sf building on the site would be approximately $250,000 per square foot for a total of $1,875,000.

The committee met finally on Friday, July 13, in the Central Library Community Room where we held a final public speak-out after which the committee members individually express their considerations and choice for recommendation.

Why the Mosque?

Following are some of the reasons why the Mosque is preferred:

• The Mosque was found to be relatively modern with updated electrical and heating/cooling facilities.
• It holds a large kitchen area and a number of offices/meeting rooms on the first and second floors.
• It is centrally located near the heart of Mason Square.
• As mentioned, there is adequate parking in the rear.
• The main hall is large and relatively unobstructed.
• The building itself is located on the sidewalk which is very pedestrian-friendly and in-line with the emphasis of the Planning Department and the direction of the re-writing of the Zone Ordinance.
• The property is steps away from DeBerry Elementary School which may address some of the concerns of those in favor of Stafford Field.

The Mosque is clearly the largest structure of those reviewed with approximately 14,000 sf and a 20,000 sf adjacent parking lot. The former full-functioning Mason Square branch library held approximately 9,300 sf (7,500 sf library space and 1,800 sf for the Read Write Now! adult literacy program). Comparing the two, one might consider the Mosque to be excessively large. The committee did consider this issue.

The committee recommends that the additional space be considered for the following additional needs and services:

• Adult Literacy classes (Read Write Now! or other - 2,500 to 3,000 sf needed)
• A permanent home for the Mason Square Senior Center which currently resides at Mason Wright in Maple High Six Corners neighborhood
• Reportedly needed storage space for the Springfield Library System
• Modern public meeting space for 50-75 people (800 to 1,000 sf needed)
• A café or refreshment space (sub-let or contracted)
• Community group office space - area neighborhood council's receive CDBG funding much of which pay's rent elsewhere
• Tutoring and after-school activities
• Museum/Gallery/Performing Arts space

It is important to remember that in a well-designed library, some of the spaces will be multi-purpose.  A community room, for example, can be used as quiet study space during parts of the day and as a children's activity space at other times. Also, we should be planning the library to meet a projected 20 year need (industry standard) and include what should be considered "the basics" in terms of professional standards.

As I mentioned, the fire station would be our second choice. Including the basement, it is comparable in size with the Mosque. Its benefits include the central location, landmark characteristic, current ownership (city), and the community's desire to put it to use. Drawbacks include the lack of available parking and potential traffic hazards.

Clearly, further analysis, planning, and community involvement would be an integral part of this Mason Square Community Library complex which has the potential to become the example for other communities.

In closing, I thank you for your confidence and on behalf of the committee I hope that we have met our responsibility to you and to the Mason Square Community.

Best regards,

Benjamin Swan, Jr.
Chairperson
413-427-3557

APPENDIX A

July 6, 2007

Stephen Jablonski Architects
Mason Square Library Potential Sites
Preliminary Financial Analysis

All costs based on a branch library approximately 7,500 sf. The fire station has 3,900 sf per floor, so 2 floors equals 7,900 sf. 9-11 Andrews St has 7,200 sf on level 1 so that figure is used in the estimate. At the Mosque I assumed that 7,500 sf could be separated from the rest of the building for use as a branch library. Since all three sites are larger than 7,500 sf, additional costs would be incurred to upgrade the entire facility, these costs are not listed here because they would complicate the analysis. Furthermore, decisions would have to be made about what to do with the remaining space at each location before a cost analysis could be developed. Example: will the remaining space be renovated or left unoccupied?

Monday, July 9, 2007: Meeting Notes

Committee Members Present: Ben Swan, Jr., Chair; Emily Bader, Patrick Markey, Elizabeth Stevens, Bud Williams

Everyone present toured Muhammeds Mosque #13, which has recently become available as a potential library site.

After the tour, architect Steve Jablonski distributed a written analysis of three sites (attached) and gave a presentation on the four potential library sites that are most preferred by meeting participants and the Steering Committee - Mason Square Fire Station, 9-11 Andrews Street, Muhammads Mosque, and the park adjacent to DeBerry School. Note: the park site was not included in the written analysis, because it was impossible for Mr. Jablonski to determine the acquisition cost of land that would be required by the state to replace the parkland that must be taken to build the library.

Emily Bader reminded the group that none of the analyses included costs for renovating space for the Read/Write/Now literacy program, a service that the community has said it wants to have returned to the Mason Square Branch Library.

In addition to the information provided in the written analysis, Mr. Jablonski made the following points about each of the sites:

Mason Square Fire Station

•  A site drawing of new traffic patterns that will be created by the State Street Corridor Project illustrated improved pedestrian safety in the area.

• 36 ft of land should be acquired from the Indian Motorcycle property to enable the creation of 22 street-level parking spaces.
• The building has adequate space (3,900 s.f.) to accommodate Read/Write/Now on the third floor.

9-11 Andrews Street

• The second floor is only 2,000 s.f. and is not large enough to house Read/Write/Now.
• The $630,000 price quote for the property includes acquisition of two smaller adjacent properties on State Street.
• If the entire parcel is acquired, two business would need to be re-located.
• Since a gas station was formerly located on the State Street properties, there is the potential for hazardous waste that would need to be remediated.

• Much updating has already been done to the building, including accessible restrooms, plumbing and electrical upgrades, air conditioning, etc.
• While the 3,600 s.f. of space available on the second level is more than adequate for Read/Write/Now, a second stair and elevator would be required
• Assessed price of the building is $364,000.

Patrick Markey asked if the stair and elevator would be required if the space were used only for storage. Mr. Jablonski answered that they would not be required, and that the situation would be the same for the Andrews Street property.

• Because the property has been designated as parkland by the state legislature, a number of legal steps would need to be undertaken in order to get approval to take the land for a library. Steps include getting permission from the Park Commission; locating and acquiring a suitable parcel of land in the neighborhood to replace the land being taken; receiving approval from 2/3 of the state legislature to make the change.
• Construction costs for a new 7,500 s.f. building on the site would be approximately $250,000 per square foot for a total of $1,875,000.

There were numerous questions and extensive discussion among meeting participants regarding each of the properties.

The Steering Committee decided to meet one additional time on Friday, July 13 to finalize its recommendation to Mayor Ryan. The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the Central Library Community Room, 220 State Street.

ATTACHMENT:
July 6, 2007
Stephen Jablonski Architects
Mason Square Library Potential Sites
Preliminary Financial Analysis

All costs based on a branch library approximately 7,500 sf. The fire station has 3,900 sf per floor, so 2 floors equals 7,900 sf. 9-11 Andrews St has 7,200 sf on level 1 so that figure is used in the estimate. At the Mosque I assumed that 7,500 sf could be separated from the rest of the building for use as a branch library. Since all three sites are larger than 7,500 sf, additional costs would be incurred to upgrade the entire facility, these costs are not listed here because they would complicate the analysis. Furthermore, decisions would have to be made about what to do with the remaining space at each location before a cost analysis could be developed. Example: will the remaining space be renovated or left unoccupied?

Tuesday, June 19, 2007: Meeting Notes

The meeting of the Mason Square Library Search Committee convened at approximately 5:35 pm on Tuesday, June 19, 2007. Members of the Committee who were present included Benjamin Swan, Jr., Emily Bader, Dora Robinson, Patrick Markey and Liz Stevens.

Benjamin Swan introduced himself as the new chair of the Mason Square Library Search Committee. Other members of the Committee introduced themselves to members of the public who were present. At the start of the meeting, there were seven citizens, who were not members of the Committee, present. A few additional people trickled in during the course of the meeting.

Chairman Swan distributed a document entitled “Mason Square Library Steering Committee Review” to members of the Committee and others who were present. He then outlined a history of events relating to the Mason Square Library and search efforts. In his presentation, he identified sites that had been considered by the Committee for the new Mason Square Branch Library. He also identified those sites which had been eliminated from consideration. They included the Urban League Building, the Rebecca Johnson Schoolyard, Johnson Life Center and the old Urban League Building which is presently a dollar store.

Chairman Swan then outlined the Committee process which had been agreed upon at our previous meeting. First, a presentation will be made to the public regarding the sites under consideration. Next, the public will be provided an opportunity to vote on their preferred sites. Ballot forms have been prepared by Emily Bader. Next, Architect Steven Jablonski will provide an architectural assessment regarding a few of the sites identified by the Committee as warranting further consideration. Finally, the Committee will vote on its choice of a site for the Mason Square Library. Its recommendation will then be forwarded to the mayor.

The meeting of June 19, 2007 was intended to include a presentation of the site and a vote by members of the public on their top choice for a site. Committee members and those members of the public who were present discussed whether the planned presentation and vote should be postponed given the extremely low turnout. Members of the Committee expressed their expectation that the vote was to be an opportunity for significant input for the community on the library location. Members of the Committee and members of the public expressed the desire that more members of the public be afforded an opportunity to participate in the vote. Patrick Markey made a motion to postpone the presentation and the vote for one week and to publicize the postponed meeting’s date and purpose. Dora Robinson seconded that motion and it carried unanimously. Clinton Fowlkes, aide to Mayor Ryan, offered to contact neighborhood councils regarding the rescheduled meeting. He also offered to contact local media outputs, including radio stations. The Committee gratefully accepted his offer.

It was then agreed that the meeting at which the presentation and vote would take place would occur on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 at 6 pm at the Martin Luther King Community Center.

Thereafter, the meeting adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,
Patrick J. Markey

Tuesday, May 29, 2007: Meeting Notes

Committee Members Present: James Morton, Chairman; Ben Swan, Jr.; Dora Robinson; Mary Worthy; Emily Bader, Patrick Markey; Bud Williams

Committee members toured the former Byron Funeral Home, which is currently listed for sale at $345,000. The property is presently under contract to be sold by the end of the summer. It was noted that the property is located within the McKnight Historic District, so it is possible that historic preservation funds may be available to restore the building.

After the tour, the Committee re-convened at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, where everyone present at the meeting discussed the site and rated the facility, utilizing the rating sheet that has been used for all properties under consideration. The building received an average rating (15-25 points).

Community member Bill Devlin, who is an architect and a member of the Springfield Preservation Trust, gave a presentation on the Mason Square fire station that addressed concerns that Committee members had outlined at a previous meeting.

• Parking - Mr. Devlin suggested entering into a long-term lease with the Indian Motorcycle building to secure an adequate number of parking spaces behind the fire station.
• Public Safety - Mr. Devlin suggested that low fencing be installed around the building that would include two "sports entrances" to keep small children from running into traffic. He reminded the Committee that traffic concerns would need to be addressed by any building located on State Street.
• Cost of restoration - He also reminded the Committee that substantial work was done on the exterior of the building several years ago. The brick was re-pointed, new windows were installed, and the building received a new roof.

Counselor Williams discussed a bond that had been sponsored by Ben Swan several years ago. He confirmed that the bond funding to build a parking deck behind the fire station is still available, but the City must have an approved project to accompany the parking deck.

Scott Hanson was asked if the $500,000 that the City had set aside several years ago to prepare the building for re-development was still available. The funds may have been re-allocated, since no developer for the building has been found. Scott will check on this for the next meeting.

Mary Worthy reported that the mosque on State Street is not for sale.

Mr. Morton thanked everyone present for suggestions on the process of narrowing down the selection of sites under consideration. After much discussion, it was decided to hold two more meetings.

At the next meeting, Scott Hanson will provide a brief overview of each of the sites (including the DeBerry School site) reviewed by the Committee. All community members will be provided an opportunity to vote for their preferred site. After the votes have been tallied, Committee members will ask architect Stephen Jablonski to provide a technical review of three or four sites.

The Committee's final recommendation will take all of this information, including the community vote, into consideration when forming its recommendation. Mr. Morton clarified for everyone present that committee members, appointed by the Mayor, would make the final decision regarding which sites to recommend to the Mayor. Pat Markey made a motion to advise the Mayor of the community vote, even if it is different from the Committee's recommendation. Motion seconded by Ben Swan, Jr. Motion approved.

The Committee discussed the importance of publicizing the next meeting. Counselor Williams volunteered to arrange for publicity for the meeting.

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 19, 2007 at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Morton announced his resignation from the Committee because of his appointment to the Financial Control Board. He stated that the Mayor will appoint a new chairman before the final two meetings are held.

Monday, April 30, 2007: Meeting Notes

Present: Dora Robinson, Mary Worthy, Patrick Markey, James Morton, Ben Swan Jr., Liz Stevens, members of the community

Prior to the meeting, there was an opportunity to tour the building at 9-11 Andrews and to look at the lot at the corner of Montrose and State St.

9-11 Andrews St.:

This is a 19th century brick house with a mid-twentieth century concrete block addition. The building is approximately 11,000 sq ft - 9,000 sq ft is found on the first floor of the house and the addition. The other ~2000 sq ft is on the second floor of the house. The lot includes a parking lot. The property is listed at $385,000. Concerns were expressed about cost to convert this space to library use.

There is a corner lot adjacent to the property that could be acquired to give room for expansion. It is listed at $250,000. It was originally a gas station and is in the midst of a "phase two, 21E evaluation" to identify environmental concerns.

Montrose/State St lot:

An empty lot, 17,693 sq ft, assessed at $32,700.

Report re: Glorious Gospel Church

E. Bader made a call last week about the property. She did not receive a return call. Assessed price over $1,000,000. No further information at this time.

Report re: Hayden Avenue

Letter sent to Friends of Credit Union. No response. Have received correct address, letter of inquiry has been sent again. Adjacent property on State St, owned by Brent Harding, was purchased last year for ~$300,000. She is willing to negotiate if there is interest in the property for the new library site. Some concern about possible environmental contamination during prior use at storage area near railroad.

Report re: Johnson Life Building

This building is owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is currently occupied by the Hampden County Sheriffs Dept and Northern Educational Services. It was suggested at a previous meeting that the building might be available for acquisition. It was decided that J. Morton would contact the state about the status of the building.

A community member reported that the building was built in the 1970s by the Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services to house mental health agencies for the Mason Square Community. (A building housing the Gandaras Mental Health Agency was built in the North End at the same time.) It was suggested that the building should be reserved for agencies providing mental health services.

Report re: 765 State St.

At the last meeting (April 9th ) it was decided to draft a letter that could be sent to the members of the Board of Directors of the Urban League to inquire about the possibility of purchasing that building for a branch library. On April 10th , J. Morton received a phone call from Craig Brown, a member of the Executive Board of the Urban League. He stated that the building would not be for sale. Mr. Morton has received a letter dated 4/10 that states the same.

After lengthy discussion, it was agreed that we would proceed with our original plan to send a letter to members of the Urban League Board of Directors asking about their willingness or interest in selling the building. Mr. Morton will send out letters to each member of the Board of Directors.

Report from Mason Square Library Advisory Committee

In honor of National Library Week (April 15-21), the Mason Square Library Advisory Committee sponsored a "straw vote" for possible library sites. The voting was held at 5 area schools - Homer St., DeBerry, Rebecca Johnson, Margaret Ells, and MLK Charter School - and at the Mason Square Branch Library.

Over 500 students voted at the 5 schools. The sites receiving the most votes were AIC/building sharing (Homer St and Margaret Ells), parkland at DeBerry (DeBerry), and the Mason Square Fire Station (Rebecca Johnson). The committee's interpretation of the results was that the children all want the library to be near to them!

On April 18, we held an event at the branch library to thank the librarians and staff for their good work. We also brought them brownies.

Submitted by: Liz Stevens

March 26, 2007 Meeting Notes

Committee Members Present: James Morton, Chair; Bud Williams; Mary Worthy; Pat Markey; Emily Bader; Liz Stevens; Kevin Kennedy; Ben Swan, Jr.

Excused: Dora Robinson

5:00 pm - Though it was pouring rain several committee members and residents visited the former MCDI lot (community garden) site at the corner of King Street and Wilbraham Avenue. It appeared to be a cleared flat large parcel of fenced-in land with a nearly equally-sized MCDI-owned parking lot on the opposite side of Wilbraham Avenue.

5:30 pm - Lee Hall on campus of American International College (AIC)

AIC President Vincent Maniaci welcomed group and introduced himself and the AIC Chair, Ronald Abdow. VM - AIC is very excited about the opportunity and thanks Library Site Committee for its good work.

VM - Began PowerPoint presentation to committee and residents present. (Click here for a copy of the PowerPoint presentation. You will need to have MS PowerPoint installed on your computer to view.)

Several main phases of proposal include:

Location - Pros & Cons:

Cons:

• Lack of ownership - long-term lease agreement; No revenue generation intended

Pros:

• Familiarity and comfort - AIC will go out of its way to be welcoming; expects benefits to everyone of all ages; mixed use to include designated age relevant areas
• Location - On bus line, near schools, visibility, bank, State Street, Post Office
• Highest and best use - Building is already a library; minimal investment
• College exposure to community members; AIC is a very diverse neighborhood school with a 40% non-white student body
• Synergy - College students will get even more involved with community; The HIVE and Antonios Grinders for snacks, meals, etc.
• Others include - Security; Parking; Wireless Internet campus-wide; Bookstore

Operations:

• Space: 60,000 sq. ft. - main floor to be dedicated to community use; upper floors for college; lower floors for mixed-use
• Fred ___, theater/drama artist and professor sees this as a great opportunity to mix AIC and community

Capital:

• Displayed two separate possible design modifications to exterior of library building
• Current campus bookstore vendor may be inclined to invest in larger collaborative project
• VM's agenda - to combine resources to make a better library for both college and community (i.e. combined budgets, personnel, no rent - opportunity to prove that AIC has what it takes to be innovative and succeed - "WE want you here."

JM - How much space for MS Branch Library? VM - Approximately 15,000 sq. ft.
LS - What are the parking opportunities? VM - AIC would offer easement to the city to place diagonal parking in front of library as part of State Street Corridor Project. There are also other lots accessible from Wilbraham Road.
BW - What about the issue of ownership. VM - AIC has suggested a 99-year lease but we are open to you telling us what is acceptable.
PM - Could we "condominiumize" the MS Library space? VM - That's open to consideration. We need to understand the legalities. "I think that if Annie Curran saw this opportunity she would probably like it."
SJ - Why add to the building - isn't there currently enough potential for space? VM - The current space doesn't easily allow for that and we would like the buildout to include the bookstore, etc. The lst or ground floor would be dedicated to community. The basement might be collaborative space including education opportunities and the IT group. The second floor would include the college's stacks, student space, etc. In short the AIC agenda includes the addition as a campus enhancement.
BW - How many computers are currently available in the facility? VM -16
KW - What is the student population? VM - 17,000 including 13,000 resident students.
KW - Do the students currently use the space? VM - Except for finals (2 weeks) there is probably not a capacity problem.
MW - Do you plan an investment in new computers? VM - the combined budgets should provide ample dollars for that.

The group toured the James Shea Memorial Library.
Would-be front door is not currently handicap accessible.

After the tour JM opened discussion by asking that the former MCDI lot be scored by the previously used method. Points for consideration:
SJ - Current construction costs are ~$150 to $200 per sq. ft. or roughly $2 to $3 million dollars
JM - Parking in the underutilized lot across the street could likely be negotiated for a fee with MCDI
SH - There is a presumption of contamination on the site. There may be brown-fields or other resources available for testing and remediation
SJ - Otherwise a cleared lot would be ideal for new construction
KW - Are the railway gas lines a concern? SH - The railway is not included in this parcel Members then scored the former MCDI lot.

Members were then asked to score the just-toured AIC Shea Library.
Scores for both sites were tallied.

SCORE SUMMARY

Mason Square Library Site Scoring Summary

Legend:

1st in range
2nd in range
3rd in range

Meeting continued.

JM - Regarding AIC library ownership, YMCA has a condominium relationship with the Springfield Redevelopment Authority regarding the upstairs apartments. Utilities are based upon square footage. We could have expert advisers review same as well as 99-year leases.
Other are contact the committee requesting that we consider their properties and similar relationships. We can consider them at our next meeting at which time we will visit DeBerry School and the 11 Andrew Street building.
MW - The parcel(s) at Union/Colton/Eastern Avenue has been sold.
EM - Will research costs of the MS Library renovation for reference.
JM - Will contact representative of 11 Andrews Street for presentation
EB - Will contact representative of 627 State Street (Church)
LS - Will contact Friend's of the Credit Union regarding Hayden Avenue property
Group discussed and eliminated consideration (primarily due to distance and ownership issues) of Springfield Day Nursery King Street property which involved 35,000 sq. ft., and potential funding assistance (SDN - $400K for projects). PM - Moved, LS - Seconded
MW - Is the current Library building an option.
LS - The MS Library Advisory Committee, which meets the last Thursday of each month,
has directed her to try to make a formal inquiry of the Urban League Board of Directors.
PM - Stated that it is the best location. Group agreed.
MW - If they are not interested then we will accept that. Group agreed.
LS - We need to at least address the possibility. Group agreed.
It is decided to formally inquire with the Urban League Board about the "availability" of their current offices the details of which will be discussed at the next meeting.

The next meeting will begin at 5:30 pm in the DeBerry School gymnasium on Monday, April 9th . Meeting adjourned.

March 12, 2007 Meeting Notes

Members of the committee and the public met at the Mason Square Fire Station. Scott Hanson of the City of Springfield Planning Department opened the fire station and those present viewed the ground floor of that three-story structure. A stairway to the second floor and a stairway to the basement were observed. However, it was determined for safety reasons that those present would not depart from the ground floor. It was noted that the structure of the firehouse appeared sound and that the windows were intact. Ice was observed on portions of the floor, and items, including a basketball hoop, were stored there.

After the tour of the fire station, members of the committee along with the public and certain members of the press proceeded to Dunbar Community Center where a formal meeting commenced at 5:49 pm. James Morton and members of the committee introduced themselves to the public and the public introduced themselves formally to the committee. Chairman Morton then explained a review form and criteria for assessing the sites that the committee would be assessing. Members of the public present and the committee members filled out the forms and graded those criteria as poor (1), adequate (2), good (3), or excellent (4). With respect to the Mason Square Fire Station, concerns were raised regarding parking and safety. Scott Hanson from the Planning Department addressed questions regarding child safety as it related to the State Street Improvement Project. Two librarians who currently serve at the current Mason Square Branch Library expressed safety concerns. Others indicated that they believed the safety concern was overstated and that people who live in cities get used to dealing with traffic. Emily Bader reported that she believed that staffing on two floors, as would be necessary if the Mason Square Branch Library were located at the Fire Station, would be an issue. Many people present noted that the visibility of the Mason Square Branch Library constituted a significant benefit. The proximity of the Fire Station to Mason Square itself was also cited as a significant positive in favor of that particular location.

Cheryln Hatchett, director of the Dunbar Community Center, then welcomed the Board and members of the public to the Dunbar Community Center and introduced members of the Dunbar Community Center's Board of Directors. Chairman Morton thanked Dunbar Community Center for its hospitality and asked Ms. Hatchett to show the committee that part of the building which its Board proposed to use for a library. Vera O'Connor asked what the role of the library commission would be in selecting a site. Chairman Morton responded that the mayor had appointed the Mason Square Library Search Committee to recommend a site and indicated that it was the intention of the Search Committee as a whole to be open to all people.

The members of the Mason Square Search Committee and the public along with members of the Board of the Dunbar Community Center then proceeded from the room in which they were meeting to the space which the Board proposed to make available to the City for use as a Mason Square Branch Library. Architect Steven Jablonski estimated that the space was 3,000-4,000 square feet. The question was raised as to whether the space above that 3,000-4,000 square foot space could be made available to the library. Ms. Hatchett indicated that such space was currently used for offices, but that her Board would be open to many different proposals for the library. The question was raised as to whether the old gymnasium could be used as a library. Ms. Hatchett indicated there were plans to convert that space into an auditorium at Dunbar Community Center. Ms. Hatchett suggested that the 3,000-4,000 square foot space which was viewed and where significant discussion took place could be used for books and that other library-related activities could take place in other parts of the Dunbar Community Center. She indicated that there was a kitchen downstairs from the proposed library space which could be utilized by potential library staff. There was a discussion regarding whether the space could be built-out given that the building at issue is on the Historic Registry. A consensus was reached that a build-out would be possible, but would need to be approved by the Springfield Historic Commission.

The group then proceeded back to the meeting room, and after being seated commenced to discuss the pros and cons of the Dunbar Community Center as a site for the Mason Square Branch Library. Members of the committee and members of the public completed a Mason Square Library site review form for the Dunbar site as they had for the Mason Square Fire Station site. A number of those present commented that the greatest asset of Dunbar as a library site was the synergy which could be created between community programs operated out of Dunbar and programs that a library could offer. Others suggested that the Dunbar site was not close enough to Mason Square and it was too close to the main library. Another member of the public suggested that there were more schools and daycare centers in Mason Square than there were around Dunbar Community Center. Others commented on the importance of the City owning the Mason Square Branch Library and suggested that if Dunbar were to be selected, city ownership would be a determinative factor.

The next meeting of the Mason Square Library Search Committee will take place at 5pm on Monday, March 26, 2007. The meeting will commence at the city-owned lot adjacent to the Massachusetts Career Development Institute on Wilbraham Avenue.

February 26, 2007 Meeting Notes

Committee Members present: James Morton, chair, Mary Worthy, Patrick Markey, Bud Williams, Ben Swan Jr, Liz Stevens

Not present: Dora Robinson, Kevin Kennedy

Meeting called to order at approximately 5:35pm.

Minutes to the last meeting were reviewed and amended.

Committee members and members of the audience who had not attended site committee meeting prior to 2/26 were asked to introduce themselves.

There was a question regarding the exclusion of the open space adjacent to DeBerry School for consideration as a site. This was done because plans for that space have been in the works for 3 years and money has been donated for this purpose. Mary Worthy will give a presentation at an upcoming meeting about the plans for that space.

Youth Survey: There was no update available on the Youth Survey being carried out by L. Contaste. This item will remain on the agenda for future meetings.

Exploratory reports: At the last meeting, committee members volunteered to present today an exploratory reports regarding sites proposed for the new branch library. These sites have been selected based on:

1. the need for approximately 20,000 sq ft for a library site

2. sites available in the area stipulated by the Annie Curran will – on State St (or 1 block from State St) in the area of Mason Square (formerly known as Winchester Square)

Each reporter was asked to consider the following factors: site availability, user convenience, community access, user and staff safety, community synergy, future growth, and cost factors.

_____________________

SUMMARY:
Based on the reports, we now have 4 options. Other sites can still be proposed and considered. Liz Stevens will present a report on the Hayden St. Site and the corner of Eastern and Union has been proposed.

Our next meeting will be a tour of the fire station and the available space in the Dunbar Community Center. We will meet at the fire station and carpool to the Dunbar Community Center. All are encourage to bring flashlights as there is no electricity currently available at the fire station. This meeting/tour will take place on March 12 at 5pm. We will start early to allow adequate time to tour both locations.

Financial Matters:

Patrick Markey reported that $1.3 million is proposed to start this project, $1 million from the Annie Curran Fund and $.3 mill from the settlement between the city and the Springfield Museum Association. The Annie Curran Fund currently holds $4.8 million. The city is planning to use some of the funds to create a new library site but plans to leave some funds in place.

New business:

Chris Callahan, school librarian for DeBerry Elementary School consulted with the staff of the Mason Square Branch about their concerns and desires. This report suggests many things that have been expressed at these site committee meetings – adequate space for staff and public use, community room, public access to on-line catalogue and computers, adequate quiet space for reading and public use, children’s room and children’s programming, adequate parking. In addition, they propose an area for landscaping that could use community involvement and a coffee shop attached to the library space. This report will be made available to the committee members at the next meeting.

Next meeting:

March 12, 2007 5pm – meet at the Mason Square Fire Station. Bring flashlights. Following the tour of the fire station, we will carpool to the Dunbar Community Center to tour that proposed location.

Meeting adjourned at 7:30pm

Submitted by

Liz Stevens,

Chair, Mason Square Library Advisory Committee

February 5, 2007 Meeting Notes

Committee Members Present: James Morton, Chair; Emily Bader, Ben Swan, Jr.; Mary Worthy

Excused: Dora Robinson

Chairman Morton called the meeting to order at 6:45 pm.

Mr. Morton read a letter from community member Jane Mack recommending that the committee contact the Urban League with an offer to purchase the former library building utilizing funds from the Annie Curran endowment. Mr. Morton stated that Mayor Ryan has already approached the Urban League with that offer, which was rejected. He stated that the Steering Committee may decide to approach the Urban League again.

At the previous meeting, there was a question regarding the boundaries of Mason Square. Scott Hansen from the Planning Department reviewed a map that might illustrate the boundaries of Mason Square (Winchester Square) as it was understood at the time that the Curran will was written, however he stated that the Planning Dept. has no documents that provide a specific definition of Mason Square. He pointed out that the actual square, the plaza in front of the fire station, is the convergence of four neighborhoods - McKnight, Bay, Old Hill, and Upper Hill.

Mr. Hanson also reviewed a number of property parcels that meet the minimum 20,000 square foot requirement for a new library that was defined at the previous meeting. Committee members discussed the pros and cons of several parcels and decided to investigate 5 sites more fully and report back at the next meeting. Sites for further investigation are:

• Mason Square Fire Station - Ben Swan, Jr. will investigate
• Dunbar Center - Emily Bader will investigate
• Wilbraham Avenue site (adjacent to MCDI) - Ryan McCollum (Planning Dept) will investigate
• AIC joint college/public library - James Morton will investigate
• Property between Early Childhood Center and Rebecca Johnson School - Mary Worthy will investigate

Committee members will utilize the criteria for library site selection that was distributed at the last meeting.

It was decided not to pursue the open space adjacent to DeBerry School at this time, since plans for developing that site have already been formulated.

Barbara Garvey asked Mr. Hansen to investigate the procedure for acquiring railroad land adjacent to the Rebecca Johnson site.

January 22, 2007 Meeting Notes

Committee Members Present: James Morton, Chairman; Emily Bader; Patrick Markey; Dora Robinson; Elizabeth Stevens; Ben Swan, Jr.; Bud Williams; Mary Worthy

Chairman James Morton welcomed all to the session and stated the mission and goal of the steering committee, which is to identify a site for the Mason Square Branch Library. Mr. Morton also informed the audience of the next meeting of the Library Advisory Committee, Thursday, January 24, 6:00 pm at the Mason Square Health Center.

Ms. Dora Robinson presented a process for community input. Her presentation covered three areas; the identification of target groups from which to solicit input; an identification of the process to utilize in soliciting input and the identification of persons who would makeup the workgroup to solicit input. The following represents what was captured for each of these areas.

Target Groups:

Youth and young adults
Elders
Parents
Neighborhood residents
Local educators from neighborhood schools
Faith-based institutions
Mason Square service providers
Small/neighborhood businesses
Staff and volunteers of the Mason Square Library

Process:

1. Focus Groups
2. Questionnaire/Survey
Possible points of distribution: Library website, Mason Square Library, community centers

Who:

Dora Robinson
Patrick Markey
Emily Bader
Lauren Contaste

Mrs. Robinson invited members of the audience to volunteer to solicit input. It was recommended that work group member(s) be assigned specific organizations to gather input and that a letter of introduction be sent to these organizations prior to member(s) visits.

Ms. Lauren Contaste, teacher, Kennedy Middle School, presented findings from a survey of 52 Kennedy 6th grade students. Children were excited about being asked for their input. Students were familiar with the location of the Mason Square Branch Library.

The 6th grade students expressed a desire for the following:

New books
Puppet shows, poetry, art and music
A quiet place to read
Furniture geared to children and comfortable; bean bags
Cafe
The opportunity to become junior librarians
Friendly staff
Homework center with a teacher
Hours of operation
Attractive, clean, inviting facility
Video games

Next steps, to survey a sample of students, teachers and the librarians at Rebecca Johnson, William N. DeBerry, Homer Street and Brookings Schools. Essay and/or poster contests may be conducted.

Attorney Patrick Markey reviewed provisions of the will of Annie G. Curran. The Curran Will provided funds for a branch library in the vicinity of Winchester Square on State Street. According to Curran's will, the main entrance of the branch library could be on a side street within a block of State Street. Although the will identifies the location of the branch as State Street, Attorney Markey indicated that an alteration to the location may be allowed through Probate Court.

Emily Bader, Library Director prepared and presented informational sheets on Trends in Public Library Service and Public Library Site Selection Criteria. She also presented a fact sheet on the former Mason Square Library Building which included square footages of various areas of the building, number of volumes and number of public computers. The former Mason Square Library was the largest branch library in Springfield. There was some discussion around the size of the new branch. It was recommended that the branch be at least 10,000 - 11,000 square feet.

Architect Steve Jablonski, presented a proposed diagram of the new Mason Square Library which was created with the assistance of Emily Bader and included components identified at the January 8th meeting. Mr. Jablonski stressed that the diagram was not a plan. The focus of the diagram was on identifying spaces and their purpose. The diagram included spaces designated for children, young adults with computer access, performing arts, general stacks, living room with coffee bar, staff lounge and staff work room, multi media computer lab, librarian's office, ask me desk (rather than a circulation desk) and a self check out area.

There were questions around the ownership of articles/archived material which were located in the basement of the former Mason Square Library. Library Director Bader informed the group that the articles in the African American collection were placed in various libraries in Springfield. Other articles located in the basement belonged to the Connecticut Valley Historical Society. There were no archived materials purchased with Annie Curran funds.

Mr. Dennis Brown recommended that local corporations and colleges may be willing to fund and maintain spaces in the new branch library. Sustainability will be further discussed.

The next meeting of the Mason Square Library Steering Committee will be held on Monday, February 5, 2007 at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Martin Luther King Jr., Community Center. Mr. Philip Dromey, Deputy Director of Planning for the City of Springfield will research the boundary for the Mason Square area and will identify land parcels of 20,000 square feet in this area for the next meeting.

January 8, 2007 Meeting Notes

Committee Members Present: James Morton, Chairman; Kevin Kennedy; Ben Swan, Jr.; Dora Robinson; Elizabeth Stevens; Mary Worthy; Emily Bader; Patrick Markey; Bud Williams; Mayor Charles Ryan

In his welcoming remarks, Mayor Ryan stated that the projected budget for the new library is $1,334,000. $1,000,000 will be taken from the Annie Curran Trust Fund, and the remaining $334,000 will come from the Springfield Museums Association. The Mayor noted that the new building will be a project of the Springfield Library Foundation and not the City of Springfield.

Chairman Morton reminded those in attendance that the goal of the steering committee is to identify a site that will support a full-service branch library. He also set ground rules for the committee process, which include respect for the process, the community, and each other. Decision-making will be by consensus, with a fallback to majority rule.

Mr. Morton asked the audience to respond to the question, "What does a full-service library look like?" He also asked for suggestions regarding an appropriate location for the new library. Audience responses follow:

What does a full-service library look like?

• Includes space for performing arts
• Should be an educational resource for students
• Includes a space for teens to relax
• Has lots of computers
• Provides space for the adult literacy program ( Read/Write/Now )
• Has a large community room
• Should be like the old library
• Provides computer classes
• Must have a wonderful children's room
• Provides a comfortable place to sit and read
• Makes a variety of materials available, especially audio/video materials
• Has a good reference department
• Sponsors after-school programs that support the curriculum for DeBerry, Johnson, and Homer Street School students
• Should be a place for community forums and discussions
• Building must be accessible for people with disabilities
• Should have adequate space for staff
• Must have good parking
• Should not duplicate the Central Library
• Should have lots of light
• Includes video production facilities
• Should have wireless Internet access
• Must be a cutting-edge facility planned for the 21 st Century

There was also a suggestion that the Steering Committee seek input from students regarding what they would like to see in a new library. Another suggestion was made to seek input from people at the Mason Square Senior Center.

Suggested locations for the new library :

• Get the old library back
• Adjacent to either DeBerry or Rebecca Johnson Schools
• Utilize unused space at the Dunbar Community Center (approx. 18,000 s.f.)
• Undeveloped space behind the Dunbar Center
• Rehab the old Urban League building (currently a Dollar Store)
• Old Wells Credit Union
• Partner with AIC. Perhaps a library site at the college
• State Street Fire Station building
• Old Byron Funeral Home

Former City Counselor Mo Jones addressed the Committee and the audience, asking for a Town Hall Meeting to address the community's questions about how the sale of the old library occurred and why the City lawsuit was withdrawn. Mr. Jones' comments drew many similar responses from audience members. Former City Solicitor Patrick Markey described the City's position regarding the lawsuit and stated that, in an effort to move forward, a decision was made to accept a compromise solution. Mayor Ryan added that, even if the City had been successful in its suit, the appeal process would have taken 2-3 years. He suggested that we put the library controversy behind us and focus on building a new "full service" library to meet the needs of neighborhood children and adults.

The next meeting of the Mason Square Library Steering Committee will be on Monday, January 22, 2007 at 5:30 p.m. Meeting will be held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center. At that meeting, the Committee will hear a report from Library Director, Emily Bader. Lauren Contaste, a teacher at Kennedy Middle School will bring a survey regarding student preferences for the new library.

On Friday, December 15th, 2006, Mayor Charles V. Ryan announced that an agreement has been reached between the City of Springfield and the Springfield Museums Association relative to the Mason Square Branch Library. The City has agreed to drop the lawsuit against the SMA regarding the 2003 sale of the Mason Square Branch Library, and the SMA will contribute $334,000 to help fund a new library at Mason Square.

With this settlement the City can now move forward to provide a satisfactory branch library for Mason Square. The Mayor will convene a public meeting of the Mason Square Community to explore possibilities and locations for a library at Mason Square, and has appointed a Steering Committee of nine persons, broadly representative of the Community - schools, neighborhood councils, community centers, and the City libraries -- to lead this endeavor. The first meeting will be held on January 8, 2007 at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Center.

1. James Morton (Steering Committee Chair)
2. Kevin Kennedy, representing Cong. Richard Neal and the State St. Corridor project
3. Ben Swan, Jr., McKnight Neighborhood Council
4. Dora Robinson, Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center
5. Liz Stevens, President, Mason Square Library Advisory Committee
6. Mary Worthy, Principal of Deberry School
7. Emily Bader, Springfield City Library
8. Patrick Markey, Springfield Library Commission
9. Bud Williams, City Councilor

Members of the Mason Square community are invited to this public meeting on Monday, January 8, 2007 at 5:30 pm at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Youth Center, 3 Rutland St.

The complete text of the press release is available here (MS Word format).

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