Officials mull selling land for new library

Kennett Library officials are ready to build a new library, but they need a piece of land owned by the borough.

KENNETT SQUARE » Kennett Library officials are determined to begin the process of building a new, state-of-the-art library in downtown Kennett Square but there’s just one little hitch – the library needs a 22,000-squarefoot piece of land owned by the borough.

On Monday, council did not act on a request by library officials to sell them the property “for the lowest possible price.”

An appraisal on the property is due by next week, and Councilman Wayne Braffman said it would be prudent to see what the value of the property is and go from there. The land, called the Weinstein lot, is located in the center of town on State Street off South Willow Street.

“A very affordable price will enable us to raise less money and get started building the new library sooner,” Tom Swett, president of the library’s board of directors said in a letter to council. “We are aware that in the past the borough has offered both generous and supportive terms to other local organizations and we hope that you will be both generous and supportive with the library. A low price will also send an important signal that you fully support the new library building project.”

Braffman said council wants to help the library, and wants to broker a deal beneficial for both the borough and the library.

“We don’t know the value of the land,” Braffman said. “What is fair? We could say fair is the appraised value, we could say fair would be to give it to them for $1, and we could say fair is to let us just cover our costs. I think it’s premature until we have numbers.”

Library officials are eager to begin the process, but can’t begin until the land is secured. They have requested council give them an answer by July 31, so settlement could occur by Aug. 31.

“We are at a dead stop right now, until we own the property,” said Jeff Yetter, a member of the library’s board of directors. “We are reluctant to sign a milliondollar contract with the architect. Time is of the essence. We need to do a feasibility study which we can’t do until we have drawings of the properly.”

Library officials are looking to built a $10 million facility that includes a huge community center. Surveys have shown there is support in the community for the project, and a capital campaign project is being planned. A proposal that would have the library, the borough offices and the Kennett Square Police Department in one building recently fell through, so library officials branched out on their own.

The current library building is very old, not accessible by handicapped persons to all areas, and some classes, such as ESL, must be held off-site due to lack of room. The heating system is very old, it lacks air conditioning, and does not have many of the features that new libraries have. Still, the library is one of the most popular places in town.

“We remain totally committed to building a new library in the heart of Kennett Square, which will proudly welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors every year,” Swett said.

Geoff Bosley, vice president of council, said that while the appraisal has some relevance, it is not the be-all and end-all.

“The value of the property is almost immaterial,” he said. “We want to partner with the library and get a deal that works for both of us.”