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Bentleyville Community Center renovation progressing

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Bentworth Senior Center

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Bentleyville Public Library

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Bentleyville Public Library is bursting at the seams.

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The children’s area in Bentleyville Public Library

Taking another step in its plans to renovate the Bentworth Community Center, the trustees of the Bentleyville Library have again advertised for bids on the project.

The bids are due in mid-December, with the contracts expected to be signed by early January. The project’s architect will review the bids and make recommendations to the board of trustees, who has final responsibility for approving the renovation contract.

The Bentworth Community Center is the home of three entities – the Bentworth Senior Center, the Bentleyville Area Historical Society and the Bentleyville Public Library, which owns the building and administers it through its board of trustees.

The center serves the residents of Bentleyville, Ellsworth and Cokeburg boroughs and the townships of North Bethlehem and Somerset. Phase one of the building project calls for the renovation of the current building on Main Street, the addition of a new front lobby, and the installation of an elevator that will provide accessibility between the two floors of the building.

Approximately $1,050,000 has already been secured to fund Phase One of the project, which will cover construction costs, architect and engineer fees and mandated environmental studies and permits temporary housing for the library and contingencies.

The original bids for Phase One submitted by the Aug. 31 deadline exceeded the construction budget for the project. Over the last two months, the project architect, Kulak Design Associates, worked to modify the project to reduce costs.

The modifications include the elimination of a separate children’s restroom in the library, a shower in the senior center and a large clock on the exterior of the building. The modifications also include changes to some wall and floor coverings.

Construction is expected to begin in early February. Phase One was scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2017, but has now been rescheduled for completion in the fall.

“The need to stage a rebidding process has delayed the completion of Phase One by two to three months,” said Bernard Kubitza, member of the board of trustees from Ellsworth.

The library relocated its operations from the building to a temporary home at the former Fairpoint Communications building at 608 Main St. in August and will remain there until the renovations are completed.

Bentleyville Public Library was founded in 1941 by the Bentleyville Chapter of the Daughters of the American Pioneers. The first library was located at the corner of Main and Lincoln streets. The library later moved to the basement of Mesler’s Dairy Bar, and then to the building at 832 Main St. In the 1970s, the library moved to its present location, which is the former Lower End Elementary School.

Bentleyville Borough acquired and renovated the school for use as a library and community center, but in 2012 gave ownership of the building to the library.

The library is a nonprofit corporation governed by an independent board of trustees. Each municipality served by the library is represented on the board.

For additional information about the building project and gift-giving opportunities, phone the library at 724-239-5122.

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