Utica library may buy burned Knights building

Utica Public Library officials confirmed Monday that they are considering whether to purchase the neighboring burned-out Knights of Columbus building on Genesee Street to create a larger children's library.

Library and Knights of Columbus officials said no decision has been reached yet, and both sides are exploring whether such a venture would be feasible and affordable.

Nevertheless, each side agreed that moving the cramped children's library out of the basement of the public library would be a positive step for the community.

"There's not enough room to accommodate the number of children that visit," said Darby O'Brien, executive director of the library.

Patricia Seidel is a tutor with Kids Oneida, and she said the library certainly could use more

space to expand its children's room. When Seidel goes to the library roughly three or four times a week, the downstairs children's library is typically bustling during after-school hours, she said.

"Sometimes when we come in here, there's really no room for us to find a place to sit down with a student," Seidel said as she assisted 11-year-old Dominique Tarkenton with her homework Monday evening.

"To try to teach them to read, you really need a quiet space," she said. "You can't really concentrate and have a dialogue back and forth."

William Virkler Jr., executive secretary for the Knights of Columbus, said it would be nice to see the site of the historic building linked to the library.

In September 2006, a fire that began in the basement burned out the building's rear gymnasium portion.

"It will be a big winner for the community if we can do this," Virkler said.

But Virkler and O'Brien acknowledged that it's far too early to announce whether these plans will ever take place, and both said they have yet to even discuss the price for any kind of sale.

"We're closer to saying 'yes,' instead of 'no, it's not going to work,'" Virkler said. "Both sides have a lot to do still, but we're rounding third base."

Both officials said there is interest in restoring the original 1800s-era front of the Knights of Columbus building for the library's administrative offices. But there still is some debate as to whether the damaged rear portion would be repaired or demolished.

Last November, Virkler reported at a trustees meeting that it would cost about $1.5 million to restore the structure.

Talks regarding the possibility of a sale began shortly after last year's Labor Day fire, Virkler said.

"I think what initiated it was me talking to the library to let them know what was going on several feet from their building, so it was just a matter of being friendly to our next-door neighbor," Virkler said. "Then one thing led to another."

Those conversations will continue, O'Brien said, but both sides declined to discuss specifically what their next steps will be in the grand scheme of things.

"We have to still come to an agreement to determine if this is going to be in the best interest of the library and the Knights, but we're just not at that point yet," O'Brien said. "It's a little premature to talk about what's going to happen next until we finish doing these studies we have to do."