AND SO WE BEGIN...

You've given your support. You've been reading about it on the ACFL&MH; website, newsletter, and in regional newspapers. You may have been startled by rearranged and compressed library spaces. And construction trailers are now on site.

Phase I construction to restore, renovate and revitalize the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall is officially underway! The Design Alliance Architects are administering the project, with Landau Building Company serving as general contractor.

Phase I work is expected to be completed by May. Library and Music Hall operations will continue throughout the construction. At the other end of noise, inconvenience, and perhaps the unexpected, the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall will for the first time in its 103-year history be fully accessible to all its patrons. It will have an elevator, many new and accessible bathrooms (without the need for directions on how to flush the toilets!), important mechanical, electrical and plumbing upgrades, and strong indicators of what the facility will look like when fully refurbished. For safety reasons, the stairway leading from Beechwood Avenue to the ACFL&MH; driveway has been removed.

The biggest anticipated inconvenience is to male audience members of Music Hall performances. While the elevator lobby is being installed, gentlemen from the audience will have to make use of outdoor porta-johns. The Music Hall ladies room will not be affected. Library patrons will have use of a basement level bathroom.

Thanks for your support and patience. We look forward to spring.