Library board explores locating at former hospital

• Jamestown Hospital

Jessica Thomasson, third from left, director of Lutheran Social Services housing, leads James River Valley Library System Library Board members on a tour Wednesday in the old Jamestown Hospital. The board looked at the site for possible future use as a library. (John M. Steiner / The Sun)
• Tour

The James River Valley Library System Library Board members toured the old Jamestown Hospital Wednesday. The board looked at the site for possible future use as a library. (John M. Steiner / The Sun)
• Renovations

The James River Valley Library System Library Board members toured the old Jamestown Hospital Wednesday. The board looked at the site for possible future use as a library. (John M. Steiner / The Sun)
• Inside the Old Hospital

The James River Valley Library System Library Board members toured the old Jamestown Hospital Wednesday. The board looked at the site for possible future use as a library. (John M. Steiner / The Sun)
• Plans

The James River Valley Library System Library Board members toured the old Jamestown Hospital Wednesday. The board looked at the site for possible future use as a library. (John M. Steiner / The Sun)

Talk about it

Renovation of the old Jamestown Hospital continues, and the James River Valley Library System Library Board toured the building Wednesday as a possible library location.

The hospital was purchased by Lutheran Social Services to be turned into a multi-use facility including housing, a day care, wellness center and a senior center.

Should the county and city libraries combine and locate in the hospital, the new library would have 21,365 square feet of space, including a 4,455-square-foot conference center that would be shared.

“Every other site we’ve looked at would cost too much to develop,” said Dale Marks, Stutsman County commissioner and library board member.

Renting space in the old hospital would cost $150,000 a year, which would include grounds, utilities such as wireless Internet, snow removal and upkeep.

The library’s usual budget for grounds and upkeep is $55,000. Two mills would have to be added to the library’s dedicated levy to cover the rest. The library is currently receiving 4 mills from the county and 15 mills from the city of Jamestown.

A tour of construction

Jessica Thomasson, director of LSS housing, led the tour after a brief informal presentation about the space the library could use.

“It takes a bit of imagining,” she said.

Should the library locate to the hospital building, its primary entrance would be the hospital’s old main entrance, which does have enough clearance for the bookmobile. A storage spot for the bookmobile across the street could also be built if necessary, too, Thomasson said.

The old boiler room might become a two-story children’s library.

The library would have access to an elevator, which could be programmed not to open during hours in which the library was closed.

The building will bear the weight of books, with some fairly minor modifications, Thomasson said, indicating LSS had consulted a structural engineer.

There are other tenants interested in renting that part of the hospital, however, and LSS hoped to hear more definitely whether the library board was interested in the space within a month.

Sun reporter Kari Lucin can be reached at 701-952-8453

or by email at

klucin@jamestownsun.com

Tags: local news, news, library, hospital, local