AMHERST — Gender-neutral bathrooms that will be built out on the Garden Level of the expanded and renovated Jones Library are getting $50,000 from the state’s fiscal year 2027 budget.
The money will be dedicated to creating the eight-stall, unisex bathroom, with floor-to-ceiling privacy partitions and sinks. Next to this will be a separate family restroom with a single toilet and sink. Both are aspects of the $46.1 million project expected to be finished in spring 2027.
“We are overjoyed to have been chosen to receive these funds for so many reasons, but particularly because these gender-neutral restrooms will provide safety, privacy and inclusivity for all library patrons,” Sharon Sharry, library director, said in a statement. “This aspect of the library project really speaks to the library’s commitment to serving as a true community center for the entire town.”
Sharry praised state Rep. Mindy Domb, D-Amherst, for assisting in getting the earmark.
The Garden Level is where the the Burnett Art Gallery, Special Collections, the Woodbury Room, a smaller 40-person meeting room, and the town’s Civil War Tablets will be located. The meeting rooms will be available both during and after library hours.
Previously at the Jones, a limited number of public restrooms were available and were restricted to one floor. Once the renovation and expansion are complete, the library will have public restrooms on every floor. A capital campaign for the project still has $6.1 million left to raise toward a $15.8 million goal.
