Dear Beverly residents:
I want to share with you some key facts about the real cost of the proposed Beverly Public Library renovation and geothermal HVAC project — recently rejected by a 5-3 vote of the City Council — a project that is necessary to fix both the library’s failing heating and cooling systems and the longstanding problems and safety issues with the building. As detailed below, the geothermal proposal is superior to the alternative gas replacement project, would cost less, and would be the best solution for the community.
1. The 31-year-old gas heating boilers and rooftop cooling systems have partly failed and operate at well below capacity, meaning we can neither heat nor cool the building properly.
2. The 1993 addition included heating and cooling design flaws that must be replaced or fixed.
3. The 1993 addition was poorly built and insulated (the city sued its contractor after the building reopened). It needs part of the roof replaced and properly insulated. This will also solve the dangerous situation created when large icicles form at the edge of the roof directly above the library’s main and only accessible entrance, which often requires this entrance to be closed during the winter.
4. Other ADA upgrades are mandated by federal law to ensure access to our library for all visitors.
Below is the projected cost to Beverly taxpayers to fix the building, comparing two separate options considered by the city’s design and construction experts:
Renovations and Geothermal HVAC (proposed option): $9.5 million
Renovations and Gas HVAC: $9.4 million
We would manage this project with the goal of saving taxpayers’ money by returning budget contingencies unspent, meaning project costs could be closer to:
Renovations and Geothermal HVAC (proposed option): $8 million
Renovations and Gas HVAC: $8.5 million
Further, the vastly more energy efficient geothermal system would save Beverly taxpayers roughly $1 million over its life in annual energy cost savings, since this system would totally eliminate gas usage and still use less electricity than the building uses today.
A geothermal system would typically carry greater costs, but here it would not because the city has sought and secured $3.5 million in outside funds and would qualify for roughly $4.3 million more in federal clean energy tax credits. The city has a unique opportunity to take advantage of this funding to achieve long-lasting improvements in the library. Most of this nearly $8 million in federal, state, and utility funds would not be available to spend on a gas replacement HVAC system.
To sum up, a renovation with a geothermal heating/cooling system likely would cost less to build than a gas system and would further save taxpayers $1 million over the life of the system. Geothermal would function far more efficiently, greatly improving working conditions for our staff and comfort for library visitors, and completely eliminate the gas heating system related carbon emissions. Other critical building improvements would fix longstanding problems and safety hazards.
Last year, our library hosted hundreds of meetings and programs and nearly 150,000 visitors, and those visitors used over half a million library books and publications. Our library unlocks knowledge and promotes lifelong learning for the members of the Greater Beverly community. It needs and deserves our community’s investment.
Although I still believe the library renovation and geothermal HVAC is the right project for our community, a majority of the City Council voted otherwise. Therefore, I am now working with councilors to find a way forward, because our library matters to our community. It is one of few places where people can access resources and knowledge for free; it provides access and equity for all, and we together are responsible to safeguard it now and into the future for all residents of Beverly.
Michael P. Cahill is the mayor of Beverly.