MAHOPAC – Mahopac Library officials were beaming Friday when announcing that the recent $3.1 million library renovation project was completed under budget with a savings of more than $962,000.
Board of Trustees President Frank DelCampo explained the 30 percent of the original bond not spent will be applied toward debt service in the remaining years of the bond. “The smaller debt will help the library keep its annual budget and tax rate down. The library has not raised its tax rate since 2020.”
Mahopac Public Library Director Michele Capozzella commended the entire board and the library’s facilities committee for doing a “fabulous job of vetting contractors and monitoring the project from start to finish. Our two guiding principles were high quality work and keeping costs down. Now that the last contractor’s invoice has been paid, I can say with confidence that we were tremendously successful.”
Capozzella added that she and the board worked closely with the architect/engineer, construction manager, and general contractor throughout the project. “We had eyes on the project at all times, and excellent communication with all contractors. As a result, our building is now in excellent shape, and we managed to complete the project with substantial savings.”
Residents in greater Mahopac approved a $3.2 million referendum in June, 2022 allowing for the improvement of the library’s energy efficiency through enhancements in air sealing and insulation in addition to upgrades to the building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.
The library’s 30 member staff serves 15,000 patrons monthly.
The library is 21 years old and over the years, building concrete in the entrance of the library had cracked as well as a drainage block in the parking lot. New sensors to the library’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems were installed as part of the project.
The three-story brick building housing the library is located off Route 6 overlooking Lake Mahopac.
