Emporia City Commissioners are making “One last gasp” at finding a potential buyer or occupant of the Carnegie Library building.
Commissioners, during their regular study session on Wednesday afternoon, discussed the future of the historic building, which has been vacant for nearly a decade now. According to Director of Public Lands and Facilities Kevin Hanlin, though the city has maintained electricity and water service for the building since its vacancy in 2016, it is still in significant disrepair, including the dropping of portions of the ceiling, peeling plaster and other concerns.
However, in Hanlin’s opinion, the biggest issue to date is the air quality within the building.
At the end of their discussions on Wednesday, commissioners chose to open a 90-day window for offers on the building, similar to what they did back in 2022 when they received a pair of bids, one from the Emporia Public Library and the other from developers Jason and Cassie Heffron; however, neither offer nor proposed plan ever materialized. Commissioners are seeking offers from interested parties who have a viable plan with a feasible fiscal package.
If no offers come in to the city in that 90-day window, City Manager Trey Cocking says commissioners will have three other courses of action to consider, including mothballing the building, renovating it, or demolishing it and converting it to green space. Of those options, Hanlin says he would be least in favor of demolishing the historic property, noting that buildings with a rich history are an important inclusion for a community and one you can’t get back once it’s gone.
As for mothballing the project, the costs for doing so could be in excess of $300,000 to $500,000. With that in mind, KVOE News asked Cocking if that would be a fiscally responsible course of action, and also asked if the option of demolition, one many commissioners seemed in favor of back in 2022, would be the last option considered. Cocking stated that is a bridge that will have to be crossed once they arrive at it.
In terms of potentially renovating the space, Cocking noted that back in 2022, the cost of doing so was roughly $1.3 million. Now, three years later, he says that number would likely be closer to, if not in excess of, $2 million. For those interested in submitting a bid or potential plan for the future use of the Carnegie Building, you can email Emporiainfo@EmporiaKS.Gov.
In other study, business on Wednesday, commissioners discussed a review of mowing orders and related procedures.
During their action meeting, commissioners would approve a trio of items, including an update to the City-County Traffic Safety Committee, which was first established back in 2017, expanding the city’s traffic safety committee with representatives appointed by both the city and the Lyon County Commission. The approved agenda item will update procedures while including two additional representatives, with both the city and county responsible for appointing one of said representatives.
Commissioners also approved adoption of the 2021 International Building Code, International Residential Code, International Existing Building Code and Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code, and the appointment of Joyce French to the city’s Natural Resources Advisory Board.
