Manchester Public Library

CES participated in a study of the Mary Cheney Library, originally erected in 1937 and situated within the Main Street Historic District. The AE team explored renovation options for the existing facility and evaluated five alternative sites for potential new construction. Manchester’s library system is highly regarded, consistently ranking among the top four public libraries in Connecticut for annual material circulation—and frequently leading the state in children’s book loans. The town serves a population of approximately 59,000.

As a result of the feasibility study, voters approved a $39 million investment through a successful referendum in November 2022 to build a new, 75,000-square-foot library on an alternate site along Main Street. Additional project funding will be provided by state and federal grants. The Whiton Library Branch on North Main Street is not impacted by this initiative.

CES is currently providing MEP/FP engineering design services for this innovative new net zero project. The building is designed to include 40 geothermal wells, a 200kW solar photovoltaic array, and an 840kWh battery energy storage system (BESS), with a targeted Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of just 19 kBTU per square foot per year.

Our scope includes advanced plumbing, lighting, and fire protection systems, along with exterior site lighting for the building, parking areas, and pedestrian zones. The design also incorporates a flexible, 2,000-square-foot space dedicated to non-library programming and community rentals.