Cape Girardeau library leases temporary space

The Cape Girardeau Public Library leased temporary quarters this week, a move that will help speed the renovation and expansion project approved by voters in February.

Library operations will move to 301 S. Broadview St. in October, library director Betty Martin said Tuesday. The library's governing board approved the lease Monday, $150,000 for 16 months in the 15,538-square-foot building that formerly housed Carrington House Factory Direct Furniture.

The move will reduce the amount of time needed to complete the project that will more than double the size of the library on Clark Avenue.

"It is a great location because it is still one floor, it has plenty of parking, it is in good shape and has handicapped-accessible bathrooms," Martin said.

The costs for making the building usable for the library will be minimal, Martin said.

By moving, Martin said, the library will save money by speeding up the construction process. Everything will be moved to the new location in October and the current structure will be gutted.

In February, Cape Girardeau voters approved a tax increase of 15 cents per $100 assessed valuation to fund the expansion. The increase amounts to about $34 on a $120,000 home in the library district. In exchange, taxpayers will get what library promoters are calling a "destination library" that will have a drive-through window, larger meeting areas, more computers and a larger, more colorful children's area.

The library currently has about 19,000 square feet; when completed, the expanded library will be about 39,000 square feet. Clark Enersen Partners of Kansas City is designing the new library.

Carrington House announced it was closing the Cape Girardeau store in February 2004. The building, in a small shopping complex that also houses restaurants and other shops, has been vacant since the furniture retailer closed.

The price for the temporary library location -- 60 cents per square foot per month -- is a rock-bottom rate that recognizes the library's limited funds, said Dan Wheeler, property manager for McLane Investment. His mother, Sandy Donley, owner of the building, also took into account that the building has stood vacant for a while, Wheeler said.

"The numbers were pretty far apart from where we would typically market the property," he said. "But Mother can be a very compassionate lady and due to the fact that it was the public library, a not-for-profit, and we had a need to have the space occupied even temporarily," a deal was struck.

The library also attracts large numbers of people who might visit the other stores and restaurants in the complex, he said.

"It captured some interest of ours," he said. "A library is a good draw. It isn't what we would typically identify for the tenant mix, but a lot of the public uses the library for one need or another."

One possible alternative was the old Barnes & Noble bookstore location, Martin said, but the cost for that location was double that of the Broadview Street site.

The library will break ground on the construction project in October and move out in the middle of the month, Martin said. This year's Friends of the Library sale in September will likely include a bigger-than-usual selection from the library's shelves because staff members "are aggressively weeding our collection," Martin said.

The library has received two major grants for the construction project. Union Pacific Railroad gave $10,000, Martin said, and will name a tutoring room. Praxair Inc., a manufacturer of industrial gases and other products, contributed $25,000 for computer purchases, she said.

rkeller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126