What’s up with the old library? You’ve probably seen the structure on North Cayuga Street. It’s famous for a massive mural of Ithaca, featured in the background of countless profile pictures. However, the interior of this building is hardly ever talked about in the high-school community.
The 38,630 square-foot building has been used as a Community Justice Center since the library moved to the Green Street building several years ago, but deciding on its future use has been quite a tumultuous journey.
A request for proposals was put up for the old Tompkins County Public Library building in December 2013. Three proposals were received, and soon Tompkins County had set up a committee to review each of them.
The first, from Rochester’s Cornerstone Group Ltd., proposed to demolish the old building and build 63 senior rental units, as well as a space for Cornell Cooperative Extension to deliver services to the seniors. The second plan, from Travis Hyde Properties, was to deconstruct the old building and build 60 senior-focused apartments, new facilities for Lifelong (an organization striving for senior health and wellness that coincidentally neighbors the old library), and office space. The last proposal, from Franklin Properties, was to create 22 apartments, medical offices, and a cafe. Franklin Properties’ proposal was the only one in which the building would not be demolished.
In May 2014, the committee met and heard all three proposals. Each proposal was discussed but a decision could not be reached, as eight votes were needed, and no choice received more than six votes. By the end of last year, things were starting to look as if nothing was going to be decided and the building would remain in partial disrepair.
However, the committee reached a decision in August, with eight members voting for the Travis Hyde proposal. Multiple members shifted their vote, citing that a bad decision was still better than no decision at all. The proposal is currently being passed through a few bodies connected to local government, including a historical preservation society and the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR), but the mixed-use center for apartments, offices, and wellness is on its way to reclaiming the old library.