Renovation/Expansion Project
The JP Branch Library is over 90 years old. It is one of the most heavily used branches in the entire city, consistently ranking as the fourth busiest of the BPL’s 27 branches. Over time, the building has not kept up with the needs of the community. The building is not accessible for all patrons. There are no handicapped accessible bathrooms, and only one of the three floors is accessible to patrons with disabilities. The interior of the building was last remodeled 44 years ago.
The city of Boston, the Boston Public Library (BPL) and the Jamaica Plain (JP) community have worked together to complete a master plan which would solve the accessibility and space needs issues. Since 2004, dozens of individuals in the the community have volunteered and invested hundreds of hours of their time toward the goal of achieving a comprehensive renovation and expansion of the JP Branch Library.
These efforts began by obtaining over 1,200 petition signatures in support of this goal and have continued with the completion of a Task Force Expansion Study in conjunction with the city’s Property and construction Management Department and the BPL.