Oregon City's plan to turn an old elementary school into a new library looks like it's crumbling.
Earlier this year, the city offered the Oregon City School District $4 million for Eastham School but has since learned that remodeling costs would be greater than anticipated. Most of the 60-year-old building would be used for the library. Eventually, the rest of the building would be used for office space and perhaps an informal community center.
City commissioners will decide next week whether to move ahead with the Eastham deal or start looking for another location and possibly building a new library. The sales agreement with the school district was extended twice and expires on Nov. 19.
"We recommend that we investigate other spaces and other options," said Library Director Maureen Cole.
After evaluating Eastham, Cole learned it would cost about $2.6 million to complete the library portion of the project -- an increase of nearly 40 percent over the initial $1.9 million estimate. The rest of the building would be renovated years from now and cost $9.3 million, according to a report Cole delivered to commissioners Tuesday.
Eastham shows signs of deferred maintenance, has a roof that needs to be replaced in five or 10 years and a heating system that relies on a boiler installed in 1960.
Finding a permanent home for the library has been challenging. The library moved into temporary quarters at Danielson's Hilltop Mall in 1995, having outgrown Carnegie Center, where it had been since 1913. The lease expired earlier this year and the library temporarily returned to the Carnegie while the city searches for suitable building.
– Steve Mayes
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