A.P. Construction working on phase 4 of the 88,000 s/f Ferguson Library renovation project

A.P. Construction Company, a division of The Ashforth Company, is in the fourth of five phases required to complete the $14 million renovations at the Ferguson Library, One Public Library Plaza. The 88,000 s/f project was awarded in April of 2008 and is comprised of major interior renovations to five floors of the operational library built in the early 20th century with subsequent additions through the 1980s. Throughout the project, the library has remained open. This required work to be divided into five major phases and several sub-phases to accommodate the library's daily operations and minimize interruption of services to the public. Renovations include restoring the original lobby and adjoining Friends bookstore and new book room to their original grandeur, while improving lighting and security. The library now has extensive new millwork paneling, bookcases and study carrels.A new circulation desk has been built to accommodate future needs and technology integration. Also, the installation of a new computer network with integrated fiber optic links within the building will service the increasing demands to provide public access to the internet and multi-media. The fourth phase of the renovation is expected to be completed by the end of March.The entire project should be finished by mid-summer. However, the library is currently awaiting additional funds from the city of Stamford which are necessary in order to complete the project on time. "This will be the seventh library that A.P. Construction will have completed in recent years. We're delighted to partner with The Ferguson Library and the city of Stamford to work on such a vital community institution," said Nicholas Everett, senior vice president of A.P. Construction. The architect is Newman Architects LLC. Joe Gambino of Construction Consulting Group is the owner's representative. Larry Pitt is the project manager and Jim Bartram is the superintendent, both of A.P. Construction. The library was built on Atlantic St. in 1882 and was started with seed money from John Day Ferguson. In 1909 the library moved to its present location at Bedford and Broad Sts. The main library was last renovated between 1979 and1982 A.P. Construction's last library project was the 54,000 s/f Darien Library, which was completed in 2009 and attained a LEED Gold certification.