Friends group urges council to keep $30 million‑plus South End allocation, says branch has been closed nearly five years

Yvette Giroux, president of the Friends of the South End Library, told the committee during public testimony that the South End branch has been closed nearly five years and urged councilors to support the capital allocation in the FY26 budget so construction can begin.

“The South End Library branch has been closed for almost 5 years between the refresh that happened in the fall of 2019, then COVID, and then the flood which shut us down in '22,” Giroux said. She told the committee the closure has had a “huge” impact on children and seniors who previously used the branch.

Why it matters: Community advocates said the closure has left a cohort of children without routine branch access and seniors worried they may not live to see the new building. Giroux asked councilors to “support wholeheartedly the 30 plus million dollars that's in the capital budget for next year, '26” so the project can move from design to construction.

Library and council staff response: David Leonard and multiple councilors said the South End project remains in the five‑year capital plan and that design is reaching final stages with a landmarks historic review pending. Leonard said the full costs for the branch are included in the capital budget before the council and that the city is aiming to move forward once design and approvals are complete.

What remains unresolved: Giroux and councilors emphasized the need to avoid delays caused by budget shortfalls or approvals. Councilors asked library staff to ensure temporary service options are discussed with the community during the closure; Leonard described pop‑up programming and BPL by Bike visits as limited interim measures.

Ending: Advocates asked the committee to preserve the capital allocation in the FY26 capital plan so the South End project can proceed to construction; the council’s budget decisions in June will determine whether the allocation remains unchanged.