The Plainsboro Township Committee has introduced a $6.5 million bond ordinance that would include funding for the renovation project at the township’s former library.
About $3.5 million in the bond ordinance is earmarked for the reconstruction and renovation project, while another $2.79 million will go toward road improvements and a pathway connection to existing bikeways. Another $110,000 is earmarked for the purchase of a new truck with a plow and spreader for Public Works.
A public hearing on the bond ordinance is scheduled for Wednesday, July 14.
The bond ordinance was introduced about a month after officials discussed the merits of funding the conversion of the former library facility into a community center. Officials have already given the go-ahead to township professionals to enter the next phase in the design. The renovation of the 19,200-square-foot existing structure will provide the space for the township’s recreational and cultural programs.
At a meeting last month, officials reported that the impact of the project on next year’s tax rate would be only 0.2 cents. The project calls for a revamping of the outside landscape and renovation of the former library facility that will create meeting rooms, a cooking area, computer training rooms, a drop-in center that can be accessed after hours, bulk storage areas, a painting and crafts room, and a large space in the center of the library that can seat up to 220 people for lectures and other activities.
Officials also pointed out that the cost estimates for the total project from the township’s architect — up to $4.7 million — were conservative. Global healthcare firm Novo Nordisk has already donated $75,000 toward the project. And officials said they were looking to the county for funding.
