Geneva officially interested in buying library

When and if the Geneva Public Library moves out of its home at 127 James St., its next-door neighbor, City Hall, wants to move in.

The Geneva City Council Monday made its intent official, adopting a resolution stating so and setting the way a price would be determined.

The measure fits in with a strategic plan recommendation that grew out of a space study in 2004. That study said city hall didn’t have enough room for more full-time employees. Since then, the city has moved some employees into the former fire station across First Street.

In 2004, city council members talked about how city hall could move into the old library, and the city hall could be converted to a cultural arts center. The current city council chamber used to have a stage.

The library board wants to buy the empty Cetron factory and an empty office building at Richards and State streets, raze them and build a larger library.

It has the money for the land purchase, but would need to borrow money to construct a building, something voters would be asked to approve.

The library board wants to sell the current library to somebody who would appreciate its history and preserve the building.

The oldest part of the library opened in 1908. It was built with a grant from the Carnegie Foundation.

Monday’s resolution states “Officials of both the City and the Library wish to confirm to the Geneva community and future officials of the City and the Library their intent to work in good faith toward a sale of the Library property to the City.”

The sale price will be determined using the average of three appraisals, done by appraisers agreed upon by both the city and the library.

The resolution is not a binding contract, and does not irrevocably commit future city councils to a purchase.

The library board is scheduled to vote on the resolution Thursday evening.