STONINGTON FREE LIBRARY GETS $145K RENOVATION GRANT

Stonington — The Stonington Free Library announced Thursday that it has received a $145,000 matching grant from the Connecticut State Library Board to help fund phase 2 of its renovation and handicapped accessibility project.

The grant is expected to fund half of the estimated $290,000 of work. The library is required to raise the remaining $145,000 within one year to receive the grant.

Phase two calls for renovations to existing space and “creating more flexible, functional, user-friendly spaces throughout the library, including movable furniture, mobile shelving, new carpeting and paint, improved electrical infrastructure and critically needed work space for the public,” according to the library’s announcement.

“The receipt of this grant is a significant step toward achieving the library’s strategic goal to Restore, Renew and Reimagine the spaces of our library for all residents of the Town of Stonington,” the announcement stated.

The $420,000 first phase of the project has focused on handicapped compliance and accessibility improvements including a 700-square-foot addition to the east side of the building. This will create a handicap-compliant ramp and side entry with an elevator and a handicapped-accessible bathroom on each level of the library. The library is seeking private and public funds to complete phase one, with $210,000 pledged so far.

The projects are the result of the library’s strategic planning process, which involved more than 600 people throughout the community.