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Library board reviews $572,000 phase-two furniture and redesign estimate
Summary
A vendor showed the Old Bridge Library Board detailed 3D renderings and a line-item budget for a phase-two renovation that would replace furniture and add flexible study, teen and children27s spaces; trustees pressed for clarity on funding, phasing and how long state-contract prices would hold.
A vendor told the Old Bridge Library Board on June 12 that a proposed phase-two renovation of the library would cost roughly $572,000 in furniture and installation, and showed 3D renderings of proposed changes to the reference/computer bay, the teen area, cabana study pods and the children27s room. The vendor and designer Shannon Duncan Brown said the estimate paired renderings with line-item pricing to let trustees prioritize work.
The vendor said the furniture estimate included $163,000 for the center reference area, $43,000 for the teen area, $31,000 for cabana-style study pods and $228,000 for the children27s area; the proposal also included a ballpark $105,000 for prevailing-wage delivery and installation. "We paired the renderings with pricing so you could decide what priorities you27d like to move forward with," the Presenter said. Shannon Duncan Brown, identified as the vendor27s vice president of design, explained the layout choices, modular tables, charging stations and acoustic canopy "trees" intended to reduce noise.
Trustees asked practical questions about timing and scope. "These prices are good for how long?" a trustee asked; the Presenter replied that the state-contract prices generally hold until the state updates contract pricing, which the vendor said typically happens twice a year. Trustees also clarified that what the vendor labeled "phase three" would focus on staff back rooms, not the public meeting room.
Board members pressed for a clearer link to the library27s capital plan: one trustee noted a 2026 budgeted figure of $439,000 for furnishings and asked whether the proposed work would be covered by existing capital allocations. Staff said the $572,000 figure came from the vendor27s current proposal and that some costs might be absorbed by the library27s capital account or scheduled across phases.
The board did not make a funding decision at the meeting. Trustees said they wanted more detailed line-item breakdowns, confirmation of the capital-plan fit and confirmation of how long the vendor27s prices would remain valid before moving forward with any contract.
