Mae Flexer

Senator Flexer Celebrates Grant Release for Putnam Library

HARTFORD – State Senator Mae Flexer celebrated the release of funds from the State Bond Commission to benefit the Putnam Public Library. Through the State Library Construction Grant, the state will provide $1,000,000 for the construction of a new library in conjunction with the new Putnam municipal complex.

“This is exciting news for the town of Putnam,” said Senator Flexer. “The Putnam Public Library is an incredible resource for residents. This project will only enhance their ability to serve the needs of the community. I want to thank the State Bond Commission and Governor Lamont for this critical funding, as well as the residents of Putnam for their continued collaboration and advocacy for this project. A library represents the heart of any town and I’m thrilled that Putnam’s will become a part of this centralized municipal complex. This project will make it easier for residents to access various town services all in one place, and will undoubtedly benefit the town for generations to come. I am glad that our strong efforts in support of this funding over more than a year have resulted in this outcome.”

“Libraries are a critically important resource that advances the education of our young people, serves as a hub to enhance professional development, and connects communities together,” Governor Ned Lamont said. “The library in Putnam served the town well for many decades but quite frankly, it’s in need of a good modernization. With this grant, Putnam will be able to construct a new library that will provide its residents with a critical resource for many decades into the future, and I am glad that we were able to help the town get this done.”

Both the library, built in 1955, and the Town Hall, originally constructed as a high school in 1874, are in need of major repairs and lack adequate space to manage existing library and municipal services. Plans for a new library have been discussed for many years. A plan to build a new municipal center was conceived in 2015 that would house the library and town offices at what is currently the Owen Tarr Sports Complex at the corner of Providence and School streets. Later that year, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection outlined a plan to allow the town to move the current sports fields to the undeveloped land on Sabin Street and utilize the recreation space at the Owen Tarr complex for the municipal center.

In September 2018, the town held a referendum in which Putnam residents voted to approve the full cost of the plan on a 568 to 291 margin. In addition to the library and the Town Hall, a community center, senior center, and the Aspinock Historical Society will also be located within the new municipal complex.