A long-closed public library in the town of Chicopee, Massachusetts may finally get a new life now that town officials have decided to spend nearly a quarter of a million dollars to remove the large amounts of asbestos that are inside the building.

According to an article in The Republican, the removal of asbestos from the old structure was something that simply had to be done before any renovations could begin and before the future of the building could be considered.

Lee Pouliot, the Chicopee planner and administrator who is handling the project, noted that the asbestos materials in the old library were so widespread that nothing could be touched until they were removed. This included asbestos insulation around all the pipes, asbestos-containing floor tiles, and some adhesives that also included the hazardous material.

The choice to approve funds for asbestos abatement came as a relief to many who feared that the library, which has been closed for 10 years, was becoming both a health and safety hazard. Now, says Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette, it’s time to look to the future.

“We hope to obtain a structural analysis soon after the asbestos is removed. Then we can make some reasonable assessment about relocating the school administration to the city hall complex,” Bissonnette told the media.

The scenario at the old Chicopee Public Library is not an unusual one. Throughout the country, old buildings sit unused and untouched because of the costs involved with removing asbestos, a known carcinogen that can cause mesothelioma and other serious diseases. Often, towns are forced to come up with an exorbitant amount of funds to have the material abated by a licensed asbestos contractor in accordance with local, state, and federal laws. As with the Chicopee library, the costs often stall renovations and leave towns with public eyesores that eventually become a hazard to the public.