Library project pushed to March 31, 2027 after hidden structural issues; officials say budget unchanged

The JV Fletcher Library joint board was told on May 4 that the library construction project’s final completion date has been revised to March 31, 2027, after a set of previously hidden structural conditions and scheduling constraints delayed work.

Project lead Jennifer reported that steel installation and concrete pours drove earlier schedule impacts but that recent progress — steel erection reported as about 95% complete and the final major ground-level slab pour finished last Friday — means much of the remaining work can proceed in parallel once the building perimeter is closed. "We still remain within our project budget and within all of the design," Jennifer said, while explaining corrective work the team has undertaken to address uncovered conditions in the existing building.

Why it matters: the project had been planned with an 18- to 22-month duration; the team said it had hoped for an 18-month finish but is now treating a 22-month schedule as the realistic target. The revision affects occupancy planning, furniture and equipment delivery schedules, and temporary-space needs for library services.

Project team members described the principal causes of the slip as a combination of sequencing constraints (steel and concrete work could not occur simultaneously in places) and numerous “hidden conditions” discovered when existing elements were exposed. Examples cited included unsupported foundation walls, historic wood beams with unusable holes, and areas of roof framing that lacked expected connection hardware such as hurricane clips. Leah, the design/engineering lead on the project team, said the team has been doing selective demolition so they could assess and remediate only the areas that need work.

When asked how confident the team was that March 31, 2027 is the latest reasonable completion date, committee member Chris said the project was "converging into the 90% — the 90 area," noting that confidence rises when no new surprises are found over several weeks. Jennifer added that many of the known schedule impacts have been incorporated into the revised program and that the team is using measures such as mock-up coordination sessions, remote cameras and drone footage to reduce downstream surprises.

The board also queried whether the delay would jeopardize energy-efficiency incentives tied to deadlines. Jennifer said the project team has been communicating with Mass Save and does not currently expect the revised schedule to void the incentives; she outlined that the Mass Save incentive is paid in two parts — at substantial completion and again one year post-occupancy after measured performance — and that the project’s commissioning agent (WSP) continues regular review activity.

The project lead noted that the changes represent corrective stewardship of an historic structure rather than design cuts: "we have not had to compromise the design," she said. The team emphasized the work is intended to preserve and make the building safe and functional for decades to come.

What's next: the team plans another update to the Westford Select Board later in May and will continue weekly risk tracking with the contractor and design team; temporary arrangements for library services at First Parish will be extended into 2027 and the property committee will coordinate logistics and tenant-notice timing.

Provenance: meeting transcript discussion and slide presentation by Jennifer and Leah (topic introduced at SEG 123; schedule revision and discussion at SEG 315–SEG 401; schedule risk and confidence discussion at SEG 640–SEG 776).