A building condition assessment study presented to the council in fall 2019 found the building’s overall condition was “fair”, but noted that several parts of the building required repairs. Mason work on the east side of the building’s exterior wall was completed in 2019, but COVID-19 delayed other ongoing projects at the 94 Main Street East property.

Electrical and structural work, as well as the installation of a new fire alarm system, were underway but were affected by the delays during the pandemic. In a statement, the township said $150,000 had been allocated to repairs for the building in the 2021 municipal budget.

“Township staff are working closely with the engineering firm to prepare a detailed work plan to address the priority deficiencies and to establish a 1–5-year budget based on the work identified in the report,” the statement said. “The library board supports the township’s 2021 investment in the building. We understand how important the library is to our citizens and we will reopen the library as soon as feasible.”

The library’s website said the building was closed to the public “for safety reasons”. Curb-side pickup services and virtual programming continued through the pandemic. More details are expected about the engineering report and the status of the library building at Champlain council’s March meeting.