East Hartford Library Renovation Nears Completion, To Open By End Of Summer

East Hartford's Raymond Library renovation may have hit a few snags, but it's on its way to completion

EAST HARTFORD — The extensive renovation of Raymond Library has hit a few roadblocks over the past few months, but town officials expect it to be open for business by late September.

Library Director Susan Hansen said that although the building looks finished from the outside, interior details still need to be completed.

"It will be worth the wait," Hansen said. "East Hartford deserves this."

In addition to encountering several manufacturer's defects in some materials, crews had uncovered a major structural issue that was necessary to repair.

The $9.5 million renovation of the 48,000-square-foot library added 14,000 square feet to the back of the original building, which was completed in 1889 through a bequest from businessman Albert C. Raymond. The renovation was originally scheduled to be finished by March.

"We had an optimistic deadline," Hansen said. "Still, we'll be bringing this in under two years."

Hansen said the town is waiting for some electrical and heating and cooling systems work to be completed, as well as the arrival of some audio visual equipment and new self-checkout kiosks. She said that while the library's book collection and most of its museum collection is in the building, most books still need to be put on the shelves and new arrivals need to be cataloged.

Many of the original building's features were restored or enhanced in the renovation, including the original fireplace that was salvaged from storage. The library's character is carried throughout the rest of the library, with crown moldings and dark-stained wood.

The new library will have a computer training classroom, two community rooms that can accommodate as many as 300 people, an upgraded, aviation-themed children's section, a designated young adult area and 60 computer work stations.

Another new addition to the library will be the maker's space, which allows people to use 3D printers, while also having other low-tech options for creativity.

Pieces from the library's collection will be displayed throughout the building, including a J57 Pratt & Whitney jet engine in the children's section and a tobacco press in the young adult section.

There will also be a butterfly garden on the Main Street side of the library, which will consist of four raised stone plant beds with perennial plants known to attract butterflies.

"People are going to discover an entirely new level of library service," Hansen said. "We've really gone through a metamorphosis and have turned this into a place where the community comes to share ideas, share skills and spend more time together. Everyone in the community can find something here."

Most of the funding for the project came from bonding, but many smaller details were paid for by the "Everybody Loves Raymond" fundraising campaign. As of June 19, donations totaled more than $200,000.

The renovation plans were put in motion in 2008, when the town approved $2.1 million in bonding at referendum, Mayor Marcia Leclerc said. The project sat on a shelf until 2012, when the town re-evaluated the plans and sought methods to raise the extra money.

The project's ceremonial groundbreaking was in October 2013, Hansen said, but work didn't begin until January 2014.

"We're just really excited about the whole project and I believe that … the children, the young adult and the adult sections, especially with some of the newly formed amenities within them, will add to generations and future generations of education and learning opportunities for all of our residents and that's what's really exciting for me," Leclerc said.

Until renovations are completed at Raymond Library, the Wickham Library at 656 Burnside Ave. is open with extended hours. For more information, call 860-528-4664.

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