Barker hires contractor to build phase one of a new village hall/library

File photo: The Barker village hall and public library was destroyed by a fire on Jan. 21, 2019.

BARKER – The Village Board in Barker has accepted the construction bid for phase one of a new village hall/library to replace the shared building that burned down about three years ago on Jan. 21, 2019.

The $1.2 million project is covered with insurance funding and also grants, said Seanna Bradley, the village’s deputy mayor.

Mulvey Construction Inc. of Lockport has been awarded the contract to construct phase one of the Barker Village Hall and Public Library.

Construction of the new building is in phases. Phase one consists of the slab foundation and shell of the building. As phase one concludes, open bidding will be announced for phase two which includes installing utilities, walls and finishes.

“The Village Board looks forward to working with Mulvey Construction and we are thrilled to be moving forward with a new Village Hall and Public Library for the Barker community,” Bradley said.

The project has been delayed due to rising construction costs. The project was rebid when construction proposals were higher than expected.

The project was modified to eliminate a concrete basement and the exterior design was altered to lower costs.

The Village Board has been determined to keep the cost from exceeding $1.2 million so the village wouldn’t have to finance any part of the project, Bradley said.

The new facility will be constructed on the site of the former village hall/library on Main Street.

“The building is designed to look as close to our original building as possible, but with ADA compliant entrances and a more user-friendly layout,” Bradley said. “It will also allow for some shared areas for village and library employees, which the previous building did not have.”

The project has been awarded $400,000 in a state Local Government Efficiency Grant with $200,000 for both the village and the library. The library also has been approved for $450,000 in grant funding and the insurance payment totaled $678,422, Bradley said.

There isn’t a set timetable for when the new site will open. Until it does, the Village Hall is operating out of Barker’s former police building on East Avenue. The library has a temporary location on Church Street.