A preliminary sketch of the Lovett Memorial Library construction site.

by Sue Ann Rybak

David Wallis, project manager for INTECH, the construction firm retained by the Free Library of Philadelphia, told attendees at the community meeting held Aug. 24 at Pleasant Playground Recreation Center that construction on Lovett Memorial Library, 6945 Germantown Ave. in Mt. Airy, will begin on Sept. 6.

The project, which is a part of the Free Library’s “Building Inspiration: 21st Century Libraries Initiative,” will provide Lovett with a new children’s library, a teen space, a quiet room, a roof terrace, a staff workroom, an elevator, an improved circulation desk and several more computers. It is being funded by a $25 million grant from the William Penn Foundation.

The proposed expansion will add approximately 3,765 square feet to the lower level of the building and an additional 421 square feet to the upper level. When renovations are complete, the total square footage of the library will be 12,261.

Wallis told residents that work on the construction site will take place from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. He said the site will be fenced in and INTECH will have security at the site from 3:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. He said his firm will be talking to Acme Markets about allowing construction workers to park in its lot.

“We don't want workers to park on the street and use residential parking,” he said.

He said the sidewalks around the library will remain open during construction. Construction on the library should be complete by June.

Lisa Ashton Mattioli, community and diversity manager for INTECH, encouraged residents to contact her at 215-243-4991 or email her at lashtonmattioli@intechconstruction.com, if they have any questions or concerns about construction. She encouraged them to call 911 if anything looked suspicious.

“The community is our eyes and ears,” she added.

Donna Globus, project director for INTECH and a Mt. Airy resident, added that “construction by its nature tends to be noisy and dirty, but we at INTECH work hard to minimize any impacts on the surround community. With thorough planning, and regular communication with the neighborhood stakeholders, we hope to make the process go as smoothly as possible.”

Joe Benford, deputy director of customer engagement for the Free Library, said the Free Library of Philadelphia hopes to reopen the library in September or October of next year.

Other attendees at the meeting included Jim Pecora, vice president of property management for the Free Library; Sandy Thompson, northwest neighborhood libraries leader for the Free Library, Margie Arendt, assistant project manager for INTECH, Bill Stock, superintendent for INTECH, and David T. Moore, president of Friends of Lovett Memorial Library.

After the meeting, Moore said it was encouraging that the construction was getting underway.

“We hope that the project goes without a hitch, is completed on time, and that Lovett's service can resume as close to the start of the 2017-2018 school year as possible,'" Moore said.

Mt. Airy resident Gloria Hoffman said she was excited for construction to begin.

“When it is finished, it will be a great resource and gathering space for the community,” she said. “It will be a gift to the community.”

Residents who have questions about the project can email LibraryConstruction@freelibrary.org or call 215-686-5322.