Three local businesses have helped to move the Cranbury Library project closer to the finish line., Bristol-Myers Squibb is renovating part of its Lawrenceville campus and is donating furniture to the Cranbury Library Foundation as it vacates one of the buildings. One hundred chairs, 75 bookshelves, as well as tables, desks and filing cabinets, will all be put to good use in the new library building. The current schedule is to break ground for the new library this spring and complete the construction by year-end., In addition to the furniture donation by Bristol-Myers Squibb, other local businesses have pitched in to maximize the benefit of this contribution. Princeton Van Service, a locally owned and operated moving company based in Princeton, donated the moving services for the furniture from Lawrenceville to a temporary Cranbury location until construction is completed., “We are glad to lend a hand as Cranbury builds a free-standing library. Libraries are of valuable importance to our community, socially and economically,” said Louis DeCibus, owner of Princeton Van Services., Until the new library building is completed, the furniture will be temporarily stored in a space also being donated to the Library Foundation. Matrix Development Group owns and operates many of the warehouses on the east side of Cranbury and has agreed to store the furniture until move-in day., “We are proud to be a part of the Cranbury community and are pleased that we could help out with this important project for the town,” said Thomas McCloskey, property manager for the Matrix Development Group., “The new library and community center is coming together with the support of so many people and companies,” said Michael Ferrante, president of the Cranbury Library Foundation, which is charged with raising the $2.75 million required for the new building. “More than 650 local residents and businesses have donated to the project, and we’ve raised more than $2.5 million as of Dec. 31, 2016.”, Once the funds are raised, the project will go out to bid, targeting a groundbreaking in late spring., “The fundraising gap is less than $240,000 to reach our goal,” added Ferrante. “We want this to be a library and community center for all Cranbury residents, and encourage any family who hasn’t been part of the project yet to join us for this ‘champion’ phase as we wrap up this multi-year effort.”
