Fanwood marks library groundbreaking; council approves 59-day no-cost schedule extension

A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Fanwood Memorial Library, and the borough council approved a no-cost change order to extend the project's completion date after demolition work took longer than planners expected.

The council voted on resolution 2023-02-59 to adopt change order No. 1 for the Fanwood Memorial Library construction project, which officials said adjusts only the contract completion date and carries no additional cost. Speaker 10, who described construction progress, said demolition took longer than anticipated and the change order pushes the schedule into April 2024. “The demolition took a little longer than we thought, so it just pushed the project back a little bit,” Speaker 10 said.

The change order was discussed during the meeting as a scheduling adjustment. Council members and staff clarified the length of the extension in the meeting; after a brief back-and-forth the transcript records the council referring to a "59 days" extension.

The project team held a ceremonial groundbreaking and said permit work is ongoing. Speaker 10 said contractors were in the process of obtaining permits and that the goal was to begin foundation work within the next few weeks; construction managers and library commissioners attended the ceremony. “They're in the process of getting permits now,” Speaker 10 said.

Council members noted the extension carries no additional cost to the borough. The council approved the change order by roll call vote.

What happens next: staff continue permit processing and the project team will begin earthwork and foundations once permits are granted. The council did not set a new, explicit final completion date beyond the April 2024 timeframe discussed during the meeting.