Library Board Awards $243,000 Renovation Contract to GJG Construction, Targets October Start

At a special meeting with full board attendance, trustees unanimously awarded the library's state grant-funded renovation contract to GJG Construction & Consultants for $243,000. Three bids were received: Northeast Roof Maintenance at $223,000, GJG at $243,000, and the Wallkill Group at $293,000. The Director and project architect, Dan Kopec, recommended GJG after determining Northeast's bid had omitted more than $85,000 in expenses that should have been included. GJG has built libraries elsewhere in the state, provided three municipal references, and came in about $120,000 under the project's total budget of $497,000 (covering $363,000 in construction, $109,000 in furnishings, and $25,000 in architectural fees). Kopec said the project has a likely construction start in October 2023.

The board also formally recognized trustee Matthew Murphy, who served as the Superintendent's representative on the board from 2016 through 2023, in his final meeting; Damein Phoenix will succeed him. Without taking a formal vote, the board agreed to two delayed school-day openings for staff development -- August 31, 2023, focused on the upcoming renovation, and October 19, 2023, focused on topics such as mental health and handling difficult patrons.

What to watch

• Construction on the library renovation project is expected to begin around October 2023.