Reporting like this only happens with your financial support. Donate to WKAR today!
The Capital Area District Libraries is exploring a new location for its branch in downtown Lansing.
Emails obtained by WKAR News through a Freedom of Information Act request show CADL’s downtown Lansing branch could move into the former Gibson’s Bookstore space on the first floor of the North Capitol Parking Ramp.
The space currently houses the Lansing Public Media Center, which is moving to a new location in April.
CADL Executive Director Jenny Marr says the downtown branch’s current location off Capitol Avenue needs expensive repairs.
The Lansing School District owns the building, but CADL is responsible for maintenance costs. The library’s other branches are in buildings maintained by the municipalities that own them, including the two other branches in Lansing.
“We’re keeping up the maintenance on it; we’re not letting it go,” Marr said. “But it really needs a deeper renovation, and it really is something that the Lansing School District, it would make more sense for them to do that investment.”
She said decades-old iron pipes throughout the building are starting to crack, and the vibrations caused by fixing one section can trigger problems in other parts of the building.
The library is moving its local history collection out of the downtown branch, fearing the possibility of pipes leaking or the basement flooding due to water pumps that need to be replaced.
“I can replace books,” Marr said. “We have a lot of James Patterson books, those are readily available... But the local history collection is irreplaceable.”
Marr said worrying about something “catastrophic” breaking keeps her up at night.
“We don’t know how to plan for our budget, knowing that this building could at any time have a major problem,” Marr said. “The uncertainty is also difficult to live with. It stresses out our patrons. It stresses out our staff. Everybody has a vested interest, and the longer we have to live in the uncertainty of what is going to happen, the harder it is for everybody.”
The library is waiting for the city to send a formal proposal, which would be presented to the CADL Board of Trustees with an opportunity for public comment.
Emails show Deputy Mayor Christopher Mumby said in early January that the city would try to get a proposal to CADL “in the next week or two.”
A month later, in early February, Mumby said city attorney Greg Venker had a draft proposal “ostensibly complete,” and the city had started planning to clean out the parking garage space.
But Marr said she still has limited information to share with the public and staff.
“It’s hard when I can’t say anything, because I don’t know anything,” Marr said. “My only update is, I don’t have an update, because we’re just waiting.”
Marr said the library deals with more budget uncertainty the longer they wait. They already had to fill out an application to receive federal funding for internet service without knowing which location the service would be for, or if they’ll have to install new equipment.
“We have to plan so far in advance, so the longer this takes, the longer it throws off our plans on other things,” Marr said. “That’s why the sooner we can get some resolution, the better it is for us to make plans for our budget.”
Lansing City Council President Peter Spadafore, who represents the downtown area, said it was important to him that the branch remain downtown.
“It’s a huge asset to the downtown residents, to the downtown visitors,” Spadafore said.
The new location would be smaller than the current branch, but Marr said it wouldn’t lead to a reduction in service. Most of the cuts would be to storage space, she said, and the current location has some space that goes unused.
Marr said the ample parking and proximity to Lansing Community College are attractive features of the potential new location.
“Until we see something, we won’t know if it’s a viable alternative for us,” Marr said. “It looks very promising, but I have to see exactly what they’re proposing.”
