Hibernation ending for old library

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Hibernation ending for old library

Worcester Telegram - Worcester,MA*

By Lynne Klaft CORRESPONDENT

LUNENBURG— The Ritter Memorial Library building has been standing

empty for two and a half years, but will reopen before winter as

office space for town departments.

The building is undergoing mold removal.

" The first step is to make it a healthy building. The mold is

concentrated mainly in the basement area, " said Jack Rodriguenz,

director of Public Works.

Economic Enviro Techs of Leominster is tearing up carpets and

removing interior walls in the basement and will clean the entire

building and interior duct work with a commercial industrial-

strength cleaner.

Poor ventilation, overgrowth of vegetation around the building and

poor drainage of groundwater and gutters were the main causes of the

mold growth, according to Mr. Rodriguenz.

He said Kerry A. Speidel, town manager, presented a comprehensive

plan to the Board of Selectmen that was accepted, " and I believe it

will be successful when all is said and done. "

After the $19,700 mold remediation project is completed in the next

two weeks, Building Commissioner J. Sauvageau will take over

the project and start the renovation of the interior space to house

the town's land-use departments, including the Planning Office,

Conservation Commission, Board of Health, Building Department and

Sewer Commission.

" It seems like it was a logical break to place the land-use offices

together here at the Ritter and keep the administrative offices at

Town Hall, " Ms. Speidel said. The built-in vault in Town Hall is

used by most of the administrative departments, she said, including

the town clerk, selectmen, assessors, town accountant, treasurer/tax

collector and payroll.

Where the administrative department offices will be relocated in

Town Hall has not been decided yet, but Ms. Speidel indicated that

the offices that get the most traffic will probably stay on the

first floor.

The Ritter building will house the Planning Office and a conference

room in the lobby section of the first level of the old library,

according to Mr. Sauvageau's design plan.

The Building Department, Conservation Commission and Board of Health

will be on the second level.

The Sewer Commission has a dedicated space on the second level, but

has not decided whether to move offices from the Department of

Public Works building on Chase Road.

The basement of the old library will be reserved for a future

conference room and a kitchen and break room. It also contains the

furnace room.

The entire building will be wheelchair-accessible, and an elevator

will be installed for access to the second floor and basement.

The cost of the project, approximately $130,000 to $150,000, will be

covered by several sources, including money from the sale of the old

Chief's House at 950 Massachusetts Ave., leftover money from the

demolition of the old public safety building, and town meeting

appropriations for a public buildings analysis and renovations that

went unused.

Mr. Sauvageau is forecasting a three- to four-month renovation

project. He said he hoped the offices could be occupied before

winter.

The original Town Center Re-use Study was prepared by the Planning

Office in 2003 and presented in January 2004 with recommendations

that the Ritter be converted to town department office space.

" I am happy to see that the building is being renovated; it is an

outstanding building architecturally and historically, and lends to

the character of our small New England town center, and we are more

than pleased that it will be used for town department offices, " said

Planning Director n M. Benson.