Hanson Public Library Building Committee

05/16/2026

🇺🇸The Hanson Town Election is today. The Library Building Project 🧱 is ballot question #4.

🗳️ TOWN ELECTION 🗳️
📍 Hanson Middle School
🗓️ Saturday, May 16
⏰ 10:00am - 5:00pm

05/16/2026

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05/13/2026

MAY 14 PUBLIC FORUM
Still have questions about the Hanson Library Building Project?

A final public forum will be held on Thursday, May 14 at 6:00 PM at the Hanson Public Library.

The forum is intended to provide information for residents who are still undecided, answer questions about the project, and explain:
• The approximately $8 million in deferred repairs to the current library and senior center building
• Why rehabilitation alone does not solve the Town’s long-term space needs
• How the project uses approximately $12.6 million in state funding
• The improvements planned for both the library and shared systems supporting the Senior Center
• The long-term planning process behind the proposal

Residents are encouraged to attend, ask questions, and review the information before Election Day.

For more information: https://hansonlibrary.org/building-project

Questions can be emailed to: [email protected]
Questions and feedback will be addressed during the May 14 forum at 6 PM.

Renovation & Expansion of Library and Senior Center Building
• Estimated $20.4M local project cost after $12.6M state grant
• Additional $800K of state and private funds available to lower local cost further
• Proposal addresses deferred repairs & provides additional space for library and community. Design based on citizen identified priorities!

Estimated Taxpayer Impact:
Between $16-$33/month* for a $550K assessed home. No local tax impact until FY29.

*Cost range based on type and length of borrowing and offsets from retiring town debt

Cost of a Renovation Only approach: $12M
• Addresses deferred repairs only
o Poor long-term investment
• Space limitations will continue to impact service to the community
o Building still does not meet Hanson’s needs

ELECTION INFORMATION

Election Day: Saturday, May 16 Hanson Middle School
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Early Voting: Hanson Town Hall, 542 Liberty Street
• Wednesday, May 13 — 9 AM–4 PM

05/12/2026

RESPONSIBLE LONG-TERM PLAN
A question many residents are asking is: Why not simply repair the existing building and wait on expansion?

The challenge is that repairing the current building alone does not solve the core issue the Town has been discussing for years: the space no longer meets Hanson’s needs.

The library was determined to be undersized when it opened in 1990. Today, the building serves a community of approximately 10,000 residents and supports children’s programming, teen services, adult programming, community meetings, and shared systems with the Senior Center.

At the same time, the building now requires approximately $8 million in repairs and capital improvements, including roof, HVAC, septic, accessibility, and infrastructure upgrades.

This proposal was designed to:
• Address those repair needs
• Modernize critical systems
• Improve accessibility
• Create the space needed for today’s residents and future growth
• Improve systems shared with the Senior Center

And importantly, it does so with approximately $12.6 million in state funding that will not be available again for another 5–10 years.

For more information: https://hansonlibrary.org/building-project/

Questions can be emailed to: [email protected]
Questions and feedback will be addressed or incorporated into the May 14th public forum at 6 PM.

Renovation & Expansion of Library and Senior Center Building
• Estimated $20.4M local project cost after $12.6M state grant
• Additional $800K of state and private funds available to lower local cost further
• Proposal addresses deferred repairs & provides additional space for library and community. Design based on citizen identified priorities!

Estimated Taxpayer Impact:
Between $16-$33/month* for a $550K assessed home. No local tax impact until FY29.

*Cost range based on type and length of borrowing and offsets from retiring town debt

Cost of a Renovation Only approach: $12M
• Addresses deferred repairs only
o Poor long-term investment
• Space limitations will continue to impact service to the community
o Building still does not meet Hanson’s needs

ELECTION INFORMATION

Election Day: Saturday, May 16 Hanson Middle School
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Early Voting: Hanson Town Hall, 542 Liberty Street
• Tuesday, May 12 — 9 AM–5 PM
• Wednesday, May 13 — 9 AM–4 PM

05/12/2026

🧱The Hanson Public Library Building Project includes upgrades that benefit and support the Senior Center 🧓🏻

In addition to expanded library space and infrastructure improvements, the proposal includes the following upgrades to the Senior Center:

• Fully renovated & remodeled restrooms
• Accessibility renovations to kitchen
• New windows
• New roof
• New exterior wood siding
• Fully accessible entrances/exits
• Access to additional meeting space
• Adjacent to adult collection and seating
• Access to outdoor courtyard/reading garden

This project is designed to improve the overall functionality, accessibility, comfort, and usability of the shared building for residents who use both the Library and Senior Center every day.

Before Election Day, attend our final community forum to learn about the project, review key information, and get your questions answered.
Thursday, May 14 • 6:00 PM
Hanson Public Library

05/11/2026

YEARS OF PLANNING
The Hanson Library Building Project is not a concept or an early-stage idea.

It is the result of:
• Years of planning and community input
• Professional architectural and engineering studies
• Environmental and geotechnical testing
• A full Facility Conditions Assessment
• Extensive review of renovation and expansion options

That work identified approximately $8 million in deferred maintenance and repair needs to the current library and senior center building, including roof, HVAC, septic, accessibility, and infrastructure upgrades.

At the same time, the process confirmed another long-standing issue: the building no longer has enough space to serve the community effectively.

Repairing the building alone would still leave Hanson with:
• Overcrowded children’s and teen areas
• Limited community and program space
• Inadequate room for future growth

This proposal was specifically designed to solve both problems together while leveraging approximately $12.6 million in state funding.

For more information: https://hansonlibrary.org/building-project

Questions can be emailed to: [email protected]
Questions and feedback will be addressed or incorporated into the May 14th public forum at 6 PM.

Renovation & Expansion of Library and Senior Center Building
• Estimated $20.4M local project cost after $12.6M state grant
• Additional $800K of state and private funds available to lower local cost further
• Proposal addresses deferred repairs & provides additional space for library and community. Design based on citizen identified priorities!

Estimated Taxpayer Impact:
Between $16-$33/month* for a $550K assessed home. No local tax impact until FY29.

*Cost range based on type and length of borrowing and offsets from retiring town debt

Cost of a Renovation Only approach: $12M
• Addresses deferred repairs only
o Poor long-term investment
• Space limitations will continue to impact service to the community
o Building still does not meet Hanson’s needs

ELECTION INFORMATION

Election Day: Saturday, May 16 Hanson Middle School
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Early Voting: Hanson Town Hall, 542 Liberty Street
• Monday, May 11 — 9 AM–4 PM
• Tuesday, May 12 — 9 AM–5 PM
• Wednesday, May 13 — 9 AM–4 PM

05/10/2026

WHY NOW?
When the current Hanson library was designed in 1990, the state declined funding because it believed the building would not meet the Town’s long-term needs.

More than 30 years later, that concern has proven accurate.

The building now faces:
• Major deferred maintenance and repair needs
• Aging HVAC, roof, septic, and infrastructure systems
• Accessibility challenges
• Insufficient space for programming and community use

The proposal was developed over more than six years to address those issues responsibly while improving shared systems that also benefit the Senior Center.

Most importantly, it brings approximately $12.6 million in state funding to Hanson—funding that will not be available again for many years.

The question is not whether the Town will need to invest in the building. The question is whether those needs are addressed now with substantial state support, or later entirely through local funding.

For more information: https://hansonlibrary.org/building-project

Questions can be emailed to: [email protected]
Questions and feedback will be addressed or incorporated into the May 14th public forum at 6 PM.

Renovation & Expansion of Library and Senior Center Building
• Estimated $20.4M local project cost after $12.6M state grant
• Additional $800K of state and private funds available to lower local cost further
• Proposal addresses deferred repairs & provides additional space for library and community. Design based on citizen identified priorities!

Estimated Taxpayer Impact:
Between $16-$33/month* for a $550K assessed home. No local tax impact until FY29.

*Cost range based on type and length of borrowing and offsets from retiring town debt

Cost of a Renovation Only approach: $12M
• Addresses deferred repairs only
o Poor long-term investment
• Space limitations will continue to impact service to the community
o Building still does not meet Hanson’s needs

ELECTION INFORMATION

Election Day: Saturday, May 16 Hanson Middle School
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Early Voting: Hanson Town Hall, 542 Liberty Street
• Monday, May 11 — 9 AM–4 PM
• Tuesday, May 12 — 9 AM–5 PM
• Wednesday, May 13 — 9 AM–4 PM

05/10/2026

REPAIRS + STATE FUNDING

The current library and senior center building already has approximately $8 million in documented repair and capital needs.

Those costs exist whether or not this project moves forward.

This proposal was carefully designed to address deferred repairs including the roof, HVAC, accessibility upgrades, aging septic system, and shared infrastructure supporting both the library and senior center, while also solving another major issue the Town has identified for years: the building no longer has adequate space for children, teen, adult, and community programming.

If Hanson only rehabilitates the current building:
• The Town loses approximately $12.6 million in state funding
• The Town assumes the full repair cost locally
• The space limitations remain unresolved

This project addresses both the condition of the building and the needs of the community for the next 30+ years.

For more information: https://hansonlibrary.org/building-project

Questions can be emailed to: [email protected]
Questions and feedback will be addressed or incorporated into the May 14th public forum at 6 PM.

Renovation & Expansion of Library and Senior Center Building
• Estimated $20.4M local project cost after $12.6M state grant
• Additional $800K of state and private funds available to lower local cost further
• Proposal addresses deferred repairs & provides additional space for library and community. Design based on citizen identified priorities!

Estimated Taxpayer Impact:
Between $16-$33/month* for a $550K assessed home. No local tax impact until FY29.

*Cost range based on type and length of borrowing and offsets from retiring town debt

Cost of a Renovation Only approach: $12M
• Addresses deferred repairs only
o Poor long-term investment
• Space limitations will continue to impact service to the community
o Building still does not meet Hanson’s needs

ELECTION INFORMATION

Election Day: Saturday, May 16 Hanson Middle School
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Early Voting: Hanson Town Hall, 542 Liberty Street
• Monday, May 11 — 9 AM–4 PM
• Tuesday, May 12 — 9 AM–5 PM
• Wednesday, May 13 — 9 AM–4 PM

05/04/2026

🗓️🕡TONIGHT🕡🗓️

The Town will consider this project at Town Meeting, held in the Auditorium of the Hanson Middle School, 111 Liberty Street, Hanson, on Monday, May 4, 2026 at 6:30 PM.

05/02/2026