The Gillett Public Library on Thursday purchased its neighbor, the BMO Harris Bank building, and embarked on a three-phase plan to create library space and establish a community center and outdoor community square.
“I’m just thrilled about the potential to revitalize our downtown,” Library Director Kay Rankel said. “We have the opportunity to make a difference.”
Library officials paid $120,000 for the 2,367 square-foot building at 204 E. Main St., making it the second bank building the library owns. The library at 200 E. Main St. was once a bank, also.
The BMO Harris branch office closed March 1, and the Friends of the Library and library board of directors jumped at the chance to own the property. Their goal is to provide meeting rooms for the community, help ease overcrowding at the library facility and develop a community square—an outdoor area for community use on the green space between the two buildings.
“What we’re doing is so unique. Public libraries don’t generally buy buildings and give them back to the community, and we are,” Rankel said. “We’re essentially giving it back to the community as a community center and a community square, and that is very unique for public libraries.”
With the purchase, the library will drop its expansion plan to build an addition.
Rankel said when she joined the library staff 15 years ago, the library had one Internet computer. Now it has 10, and the demand is there for more. With only two tables in the library, space is limited for patrons wanting to read, socialize or use a laptop.
“This kind of fell in our lap, and we said, ‘Hey, we could do this for the community, but in a different way, and with the addition of the community square,’ ” Rankel said.
The Friends tapped a capital improvement fund, set up over 10 years ago, for the bank purchase. They also received a $29,000 memorial donation from the Ann Horick estate, a $20,000 grant from the Egan Foundation and contributions from the community. No taxpayer money was used.
Even with all the support, the library was a little short, said Rawson Price, treasurer of the Friends of the Library.
“We didn’t quite have enough in the pot, shall we say, when the final price was decided. People came and filled the gap at the last minute,” he said.
“We’re so thankful to have such good support,” Rankel said.
When more funding is secured, Phase 1 will create two meeting two rooms and a bathroom at the BMO Harris building. Rankel’s goal is to have the community center renovated and opened in the fall.
Mayor Irene Drake said a community center will provide much-needed space for organizations to meet.
“We really need meeting rooms,” she said.
Phase 2 involves remodeling the meeting room at the library to create more collection space for library materials and more seating for library patrons.
Phase 3 involves the creation of a community square around both buildings. Rankel called this the most exciting part of the project, because of the many potential uses for the square. The green space between the bank and the library could be repurposed for community functions such as farmers markets, arts and crafts fairs, live entertainment and community celebrations. Other possibilities are an ice rink in the winter and interactive water feature in the summer.
“All that will benefit our businesses. It will create more pedestrian traffic on Main Street, so hopefully it will be more inviting for businesses to come to town as well,” Rankel said.
The Friends of the Library will solicit ideas from the community regarding what features to include and will also look for individuals or businesses interested in naming or titling rights.
“We’re going to need community input right from the get-go,” Rankel said.
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