AMHERST — The Amherst Historical Commission is supporting an application for historic state tax credits for the renovation and expansion of the Jones Library, even with some changes being made to interior spaces of the original 1928 building.

The commission, at its Jan. 8 meeting, voted 4-0 to write a letter advocating for the library’s acceptance into the Massachusetts Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program. By current estimates, the Jones Library Building Project can expect to receive a total of $1.8 million from the sale of historic tax credits, money that is included in the library’s capital campaign and is expected to be received once the $46.1 million project is complete by the end of 2025.

Commission member Madeleine Helmer said she appreciates how walls will be relocated and millwork will be retained in the plans developed by Finegold Alexander Architects of Boston.

“It’s a great effort,” Helmer said. “I do feel quite confident that those sort of character-defining features will be retained in this approach.”

But Helmer, who was acting as chairwoman due to Chairwoman Robin Fordham recusing herself from participating in the vote and discussion due to her work for the state agency, said there will be adjustments.

“There’s some spaces (where) the floor plan is changing,” Helmer said. “That will be a change to the kind of sequence of spaces, the layout, which is notable.”

The meeting came after Finegold Alexander received an initial response from the Massachusetts Historical Commission to its designs. In the letter, the state commission noted the removal of the two side staircases and asked about various changes to rooms.

For the local commission, Senior Planner Nate Malloy said the question before members was whether there were too many changes to the character and defining characteristics of the rooms and building. Malloy said the meeting was requested due to the letter from the state agency, as well as to bring the commission up to date on plans.

Ellen Anselone, principal at Finegold Alexander, said respect for the historic building is important.

“People hire us specifically when they’re dealing with historic buildings, because we’re sensitive to what is happening,” Anselone said. “We’re not the kind of firm that comes in and just takes stuff away because we don’t like it.”

Many of adjustments are to make the space flow between new and old. But Anselone said all existing plaster has to be removed since it contains asbestos, meaning trim has to be taken off and then put back on.

Commission member Patricia Auth said she appreciates the goal is to maintain as much of the interior character as the exterior character of the building, with most changes to historical aspects to meet building code and to accommodate a modern library.

“Keeping all of the woodwork intact as much as possible is evident and I think a mighty task, actually,” Auth said.

Commission member Antonia Brillembourg said she understands the need to make changes for accessibility and usability purposes.

The library is expected to close Jan. 24 for what is being called a pre-move planning day, but will remain open after that day for an unknown amount of time, until the renovation and expansion work begins.

Emily Dickinson Museum

In other business, the commission was shown plans from the Emily Dickinson Museum to rebuild the Carriage House that was located to the east of Evergreens, the home built for Dickinson’s brother, Austin, and his wife, Susan.

“Our intention is to reconstruct the 19th-century Carriage House,” said Executive Director Jane Wald.

The new building, initially, will be a visitor center and museum shop and allow the Main Street museum to remove functions from the rear addition of the Homestead so that section of Emily Dickinson’s home can be restored.

The Carriage House will eventually be a program and education space for the museum, Wald said.

Shantia Anderheggen, principal of Preservation Strategies and principal project manager, said the design proposal for the building comes from work with edmStudio in Unionville, Conn.

“A lot of people have done a lot of digging to try to find physical and archival documentation about this building,” Anderheggen said.

From what has been confirmed and extrapolated, the Carriage House was a gable-end building, probably a board-sided outbuilding, with some windows, Anderheggen said.

Anderheggen said the plan developed is creative and fits well with the secretary of the Interior’s standards for reconstruction.

Wald said an endorsement letter from the Historical Commission would be provided to state officials before the project commences.