Just once it would be nice to get the bill for something and have the price be lower than expected.

The Lewiston Public Library will go to the City Council March 2 and ask for an additional $269,000 for the renovation of the Pilsbury Building on Lisbon Street.

The city already is committed to raising $1.7 million for the project through this year’s capital bond. Councilors should approve this new request as well.

The library project is an important piece of the redevelopment puzzle for Lisbon Street. Once complete, the building will enhance the downtown area and bring more people into the city.

Money is tight. But if the city can afford to invest millions in the purchase and upkeep of the Colisee, formerly the Central Maine Civic Center, then surely there’s room in the capital budget to help the library realize its potential as a Cultural Learning Center.

Bids for the project came in higher than anticipated, requiring the extra funding. Time is short for a decision. Because bids must be accepted, or rejected and the entire process started again, the City Council must make its decision soon.

The library has raised about $1.2 million – almost all of which came from the Callahan estate – for the project and is committed to raising an additional $200,000 to furnish the new building.

To make the case before the City Council more compelling, the library could increase its fund-raising goals as a way to offset some of the new costs.

The community already shows its support for the library. More than 600 people visit a day. During earlier stages of the library’s renovation in 1996-97, benefactors contributed about $600,000 to a capital campaign. With an aggressive plan for raising even a small portion of the new funding request, it would become much harder for the City Council to turn the library down. The Board of Trustees should begin work on such a plan immediately.

Slated for completion early next year, the Pilsbury Building will provide the community with new meeting space, a computer lab and an archival home for an amazing collection of historical records. The project also will resurrect a faded grand ballroom, turning it into a much-needed public meeting and performance space.

The Lewiston Public Library’s Cultural Learning Center could become a cornerstone for future development and community pride. The City Council should help make sure that happens.


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