 The City of Monroe may be going to the voters to find the money for improvements to the United Furniture building.
After outlining the details of a feasibility study on the building, city officials said a millage proposal may be the best way to pay for fixes needed to open the building.
The building was purchased by the Port Commission last year and has been eyed for an expansion of the neighboring Dorsch Memorial Branch Library or some other public use.
Mayor C.D. (Al) Cappuccilli said residents have recently supported the plans, but the city would not have enough money to make the estimated $2.5 million in required improvements.
“The decision now is whether or not to put it on the ballot,” he said at the council work session, which was attended by nearly 50 residents. “If we get it on the ballot, we let the citizens decide.”
The terms of the levy proposal have not yet been determined.
City manager George Brown said it would take more time to finalize architectural studies, cost analyses and other research needed to find the total costs of the project. He said May may be the earliest a proposal could be brought forward.
The city is proposing a 10-year, 1.1 mill levy on the February ballot to fix the streets.
The money from a tax levy would go to pay the estimated $2.5 to $3 million cost in renovating the 77-year-old former furniture showroom.
TMP Associates, the architects hired to study the building, oulined three proposals. The plans ranged from all library use to a mix of rental office space and library use.
Architect Debra McMillan said the review of the structure showed many spots were in bad shape, including a three-story crack in the east wall and water damage in the basement. To convert the building to today’s uses, a new elevator and sprinklers would have to be added.
In the short term, she said the roof would have to be replaced. “None of this is very complicated, it’s just things that need to be addressed,” she said.
The total cost of bringing the building up to code would be $2.45 million, without furnishings and add ons.
However, she said there is some question about the structure’s ability to hold the weight of the book stacks that the library would likely put in.
She said the building was not built to sustain such heavy loads, though if it had steel beams it could hold more weight.
A majority of residents attending the work session said they supported plans to convert the building into some kind of library expansion to ease cramped Dorsch.
Gerard Gosla said he uses the downtown library six days a week and is often waiting for one of the half-dozen computers. With more space, he said, it could more effectively handle the demand.
Frank Zaran said a library addition would bring more people to the downtown.
Since the building was purchased last year, similar comments have been aired.
Lee Markham said that support showed that the library should be a priority.
“It’s clear that there is a strong public consensus about this,” he said.
But several spoke against the expansion.
Pat McElligott said the city needs to first look at other priorities, like streets and infrastructure.
“I’m not opposed to a library expansion, but you have to look at the priorities,” he said. “Where are the limited and valuable tax dollars being spent?”
He suggested a private company buy the building.
The forum spawned several new ideas too.
Paul Livernois said the city should look at building new, instead of renovating an aging building.
“It would be better just to take it down and do it right,” he said. “You are going to look at spending $2.5 to $3 million. There are a lot of nice, new libraries going up. I’d like to see that too.”
