Final funding secured for new $12.4M East Springfield Branch Library

The floorplan for the new East Springfield Branch Library.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen

SPRINGFIELD — The final funding hurdle for the new East Springfield Branch Library was cleared on April 13, when the City Council approved a $4.58 million bond for a portion of the $12.42 million project.

Springfield also received a $6.83 million grant from the Massachusetts Libraries Board of Commissioners. The remaining $1 million was raised through outside funding, including a $500,000 earmark secured for the project by U.S. Rep. Richard Neal.

Ward 2 City Councilor Michael Fenton, who represents the neighborhood, said, “We’ve been working on this for the better part of a decade.” He said circulation numbers are high and described the library as “one of the last true neighborhood branches” and the “jewel of the neighborhood.”

The existing library was built in 1932. After a plan to renovate and expand the building was found to be more costly than new construction, the decision was made to demolish the saltbox-style building and build a new one on the same site.

The design phase of the project is complete. Rather than the 3,000 square feet of space now available, the new library will offer 8,500 square feet, with dedicated spaces for adults, teens and children. There will be a community room, an activities space and a seasonal porch.

At a press conference about the project, Sarno called the library “a vital part of the East Springfield neighborhood.” He added, “Where other places are downsizing or shutting down libraries, the city of Springfield we’ve done the exact opposite.” He delivered a proclamation to Library Director Molly Fogarty and Assistant Director for Public Services Jean Canosa Albano.

“One of the great stories in Springfield is its library system,” Neal said. “The libraries here, they constitute one of the great visionary moments in this history. The individuals, the philanthropists that came before us, what they were able to do in making sure that each neighborhood had at least a branch library. You drive by the Carnegie Library, or you visit Carnegie Library at State Street at night, now, when it’s lit, it’s a spectacular testament to what they all believed.”

Neal continued, “I’ve never heard it summed up better than when Jack Kennedy traveled to Amherst College to dedicate the Frost Library. At the Frost Library, Jack Kennedy said, ‘Libraries are memories.’” He said, “I think that at a time when there’s such polarization and such strife and disagreement among all of us as members of the American family, this is something we can all rally to.”

Construction will begin in summer 2027 and last about 18 months.