Take a Second Look!

From this angle on Main Street, the front of the Library looks a lot like it used to, but there are some important differences.  How many can you spot?

Air conditioning in this weather?!

Hard to imagine right now with below freezing temperatures and a thick blanket of snow, but by next August we will be very grateful for the large HVAC units being installed this week on the roof of the New Ridgefield Library.  If you look closely in between the snow flakes you can see the units being put into place.  Work is also underway on a wall designed to screen this utilitarian equipment from casual view.

Getting Ready for Winter on the Jobsite!

Did you see the big steamroller puffing out hot clouds into the cold air at 472 Main Street this morning? Paving of the parking lot is underway!  It turns out that asphalt plants close down for the winter because the cold makes it impossible for the materials to adhere properly.  So construction projects like ours often lay down paving in the fall, even if completion of construction is months ahead.

As the picture below shows, the outside of the building itself is also being "buttoned up" for the winter, with virtually all the glass, masonry and other exterior materials in place.  With the building taking shape so nicely on the outside, gas heaters will keep the interior comfortable for workers continuing to put mechanical systems, walls and other details in place.

Construction photos 9-12-13

Construction photos 9-12-13, a set on Flickr.

The building is really starting to get buttoned up, ahead of the cold weather. You can also see here the progress on the neighboring Prospector Theater.  When all the work is done and the equipment removed, there will be a lovely shared terrace between the two buildings.

Construction photos 9-19-13

Construction photos 9-19-13, a set on Flickr.

Here you can see the north elevation of the building coming together on the outside. Lots of interior work is also underway, including the main stairway off the lobby and the elevator shaft. The elevator itself has arrived and will be installed soon!

What a Difference a Week Makes!

 Check out these two shots of the same section of the New Library, taken about a week apart.  Isn't it amazing what a few windows and some brick on the facade can do?  This is really beginning to look like something recognizable now!

Work on installing glass and brickwork continues full speed this week. 

Thanks to staff member Geri Diorio for these great pictures.

Construction photos 6-18-13

Construction photos 6-18-13, a set on Flickr.

Lifting steel beams into place - you can really start to see the outline of the building taking shape.

Construction photos 6-11-13

Construction photos 6-11-13, a set on Flickr.

That was one big crane on site in June lifting steel beams into place!

Is this where I return a book?

Believe it or not, people still regularly drive or walk onto the construction site at 472 Main Street trying to return a book or attend a program.  Our construction crew had to deal with so many puzzled people that we finally put up a sign directing folks down the street to our temporary location.

We are definitely still open for business, but you will have to go down the street to 21 Governor Street for storytime or summer reading recommendations!

Construction photos 5-29-13

Construction photos 5-29-13, a set on Flickr.

The concrete slab floor for the lower level of the new Library is in place! Steel for the upper structure is being delivered next week. The building is really taking shape now!

Construction Photos 5-13-13

Construction Photos 5-13-13, a set on Flickr.

Here are the latest photos from the jobsite at 472 Main Street. Look closely and you can see plumbing pipes and fixtures for the lower level! Click on a photo to enlarge and to see a description.

It was a beautiful day on Tuesday, May 7th, when a group of major supporters of the Campaign for the New Ridgefield Library got a first-hand look at the construction work going on at 472 Main Street. Peeking out from under those hardhats are, left to right, Robert Cavello (the Library's Owner's Representative for the project), Robert McKean, Liz Ellis, Sally Ruggles, Rudy Ruggles, Rhonda Hill (Friends of Ridgefield Library), Christina Nolan (Library Director), Valerie Jensen, Rebecca Bryan and Michael Bouwman (Dimeo Construction).

What you can't see behind the hardhat line-up is all the intricate detail work taking place in the foundations to accommodate electrical, HVAC, plumbing and other pipes and cables. Work is progressing nicely and will become more visible as the steel infrastructure begins to take shape shortly. The Library anticipates moving into the new building in the Spring of 2014 - suddenly that seems very soon!

Construction photos 5-6-13

Construction photos 5-6-13, a set on Flickr.

Once construction gets "out of the ground" as they say in the trades, it can really rise fast! After weeks of digging down into the ground (seemingly to China!), the crew is now busy pouring concrete to form footings and foundations - and more. The tall towers are shafts for stairwells.