After three attempts, Woodland Park awarded a contract to renovate its library

WOODLAND PARK — The borough has awarded TNS Construction LLC of Stanhope a $4.89 million construction contract for the remodel and renovation of the Alfred H. Baumann Public Library.

After two previous unsuccessful attempts to award the contract, seven bids were opened at a special meeting on July 25, at which the decision was made to award the contract.

Borough Administrator Sam Yodice said the two previous bids far exceeded the $5.2 million the borough planned to spend on construction. Even with the accepted bid, the project is still on budget.

“Unless there is a major design flaw or redesign, there will be no change orders,” Yodice said. “The contractor has been notified.”

The Alfred H. Baumann Library organized a game of “Life Size Chess.”

The long-awaited library redevelopment and renovation project has been in the planning and fundraising stages since 2018. The borough has budgeted approximately $5.8 million for the entire project, including non-construction soft costs.

Officials said work is scheduled to begin in the fall and is estimated to take about 18 months to complete.

“We are excited to finally begin construction,” said Mayor Tracy Kallert. “The current library building has served us well since 1979, but the time has come for a complete renovation to meet the changing needs of our residents.”

Berkeley College recently welcomed the Alfred Baumann Public Library to its Woodland Park campus with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Last summer, while waiting for construction to begin, the library moved into a temporary space at Berkeley College, which officials say has worked out great.

Once the library is complete, readers will have more space for books, computers and other resources, dedicated areas for children, youth and adults, flexible conference and program rooms, and improved accessibility.

“This project would not be possible without the dedication and support of countless individuals and organizations,” said Library Director Linda Hoffman.

Officials said if all goes according to plan, they look forward to welcoming visitors to the new, improved library in 2026.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Woodland Park NJ plans to open new municipal library in 2016