What Should the Town Do with the Old Library Building?

By Michelle Terwilliger-Hathaway

From Issue 7: Summer 2010

Before the (old) Gardiner library was a library, it was the (old) firehouse. In 1976, the fire commissioners deeded the building to the town, which had thoughts of using it for office space.  For several reasons (noted in Carleton Mabee’s “History of the Gardiner Library”), the town decided not to proceed with the renovation that would have made it suitable for use as offices.  At that point the library, desperate for space, asked if it could move in, in spite of the fact that the building had one light bulb, no heat, water or bathroom.

Now that we have a spanking, shiny new library, what do you think we should do with the old building? Please go to our website, www.thegardinergazette.bbnow.org, where you’ll see a Survey Monkey Link, and let us know your opinion:

1)  Lease the building to the Gardiner Fire Department so that they can turn it into a fire department museum?

2) Sell the building, and put it back on the tax rolls? (The  property has been appraised for $140,000 and though the  Board has received one private offer for $100,000, any sale would have to involve a public advertisement).

3) Other ideas?