AMHERST — An online petition is appealing to the Town Council to put an end to the Jones Library expansion and renovation project, citing the growing price tag, the possible impacts on the original 1928 portion of the Amity Street building and questions around whether the final project will meet Amherst’s net-zero energy goals.

The petition, posted by a community group calling itself Save Our Library, comes amid concerns raised over the course of July about the project’s funding, after Library Director Sharon Sharry informed the Library Building Committee that historic tax credits, possibly around $2 million, would not be supporting the project and so-called “value engineering” to reduce costs might compromise some of the historic features of the original building.

“The Jones Library demolition/expansion project has become too expensive,” reads the petition. “The desperate plans to keep it alive for another try at bidding in the fall will cause significant harm to the historic building, elimination of virtually all of the promised sustainability features and still carry an exorbitant cost.”

Trustees in the spring committed to getting the project, which would enlarge the building from 48,000 square feet to 63,000 square feet, back out to bid later in 2024 after the only bid, at $42.7 million, was rejected due to being about $6.5 million over the expected cost.

Much of the criticism and concern over the trustees’ continued pursuit of the project amid its funding issues has been expressed in articles posted on the online Amherst Indy. Following the revelation about the failure to secure the historical tax credits, one article described them as a “critical piece” of funding, at $1.6 million to $4.2 million, and another contended that “several million dollars of promised funding is either gone or at significant risk.”

Since then, other articles published by the Indy have questioned whether the denial of the historical tax credits imperils a $1 million National Endowment for the Humanities grant announced in May 2023. U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern came to the Jones Library at the time to celebrate both that grant and a $1.1 million earmark for the library project in the federal budget.

The Town Council, while it increased the borrowing authorization for the project to $46.1 million in December, has maintained the town’s commitment of $15.8 million, which is being combined with a Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners’ grant of $15.6 million, and nearly $10 million raised through the capital campaign, including a $1 million grant from Amherst College.

Library Director Sharon Sharry wrote in an email that even without the historical tax credits, sources can be tapped to bridge the fundraising gaps. “We will be relying on other grant opportunities to reach our goal,” Sharry wrote.

Previously, Ginny Hamilton, who manages the capital campaign, said that while the campaign was about $7 million short in funding, the potential loss of the historical tax credits doesn’t add to this.

The petitioners write that there is “a strong and growing sentiment” to move to a repair-only option for the library, though project supporters have long argued that a repair-only option would cost the town more, with no support from a state grant.

The petition, which can be found at tinyurl.com/4mhxddvy, argues that repairs would be cheaper and less risky, allowing the town to focus on supporting education and public safety:

“Scores of people have voiced their individual opinions in letters to the Town Council and public comments at meetings. Yet our town leaders have failed to heed these calls. This petition will demonstrate to the town manager and Town Council the collective will of the residents of Amherst for fiscal responsibility, historical integrity, genuine sustainability and knowing when it is time to change course.”