Geneva council to vote Monday on buying former library building
Geneva alderman will decide Monday whether the city should buy the former Geneva Public Library building next to city hall.
If approved, the city would pay $450,000 for the 115-year-old building, according to a city memo. The library moved to a new building in July 2020.
The city has long been interested in the old library building. In 2011, the council adopted a resolution stating so and outlining a procedure for buying it. It discussed moving some city offices into the building or perhaps using it as a cultural arts center.
The original part of the library building was constructed with a grant from the Carnegie Foundation, which helped build thousands of public libraries throughout the nation. Additions were made to the Craftsman-style building in 1938, 1986 and 1998. It was featured on the 2019 city Christmas-tree ornament.
At a joint meeting of the council and the city's Strategic Plan Advisory Commission in November, officials discussed the status of the city's facilities, including city hall and the police building.
In several reports since 2004, consultants have said city offices need more space. Minutes of the November meeting indicate officials favored looking at options to combine city offices and the police department in one campus.
The police department is a block east of city hall along James Street, and the finance department is across the street from city hall along First Street.
The council will meet at 7 p.m. at city hall, 22 S. First St.
If the council approves the purchase, the library board will vote on it. The library board meets Thursday.