Just in case anyone somehow missed this, Urban League President Henry Thomas is not feeling any particular urgency to vacate 765 State St., the home of the once and future Mason Square branch library.
“We’re not under the pressure of the clock with regard to this,” Thomas told Springfield Republican reporter Mike McAuliffe, in an article that ran in last Friday’s paper.
Plenty of residents and city leaders might disagree with him on that point. Last August, the City Council took the building—which the Urban League bought from the Springfield Library & Museums Association in a controversial 2003 deal—by eminent domain. After much public outcry, the council finally moved to take the building and return it to library use. The Urban League will be paid market value for the building, and have it relocation costs covered, by the Springfield Library Foundation, a non-profit that controls a trust fund earmarked for library services in Mason Square.
While the city Law Department has said the Urban League needs to be out of 765 State by next month, in order for the branch to re-open in the fall, Thomas (who has floated the idea that the Urban League might sue over the taking) hasn’t exactly been working overtime with a relocation expert paid for by the library foundation to find a new home. Meanwhile, library advocates and their allies are growing increasingly frustrated with the Urban League and City Hall.
So what has happened in the eight months since the council approved the taking? Former Library Commissioner (and longtime library advocate) Sheila McElwaine has drawn up the following timeline, including regular updates the Library Dept. has received from city attorneys:
Time Line
August 24, 2009 City Council votes unanimously to take 765 State Street by eminent domain
September 23, 2009 Deed filed at registry; four month relocation period begins
December 3, 2009 Only face-to-face meeting between relocation consultant [Steve] Mollica and the UL
January 11, 2010 Liz Stevens and Kat Wright [members of the Mason Square Library Advisory Committee] speak about this matter at city council speak-out
January 15, 2010
Email update from [City Solicitor] Ed Pikula outlining relocation process
• notice sent to UL as to their rights and that they would be given at least 30 days notice once city has a timetable to its occupancy
• meeting between UL and relocation expert Mollica was to have been planned before the end of January to review progress (inventory and location are required before cost and details of relocation can be worked out.)
• List of potential sites was to have been provided by the city’s Planning and Economic Development Department
• Mr. Mollica reports the UL is working with a couple of realtors
• City suggested the former Kavanaugh’s Furniture site and Mohamed’s Mosque
• City’s appraiser has been asked for appropriate values for “use and occupancy” [i.e. “rent]
• conversations about renovations reported to have been held with Charlie Ryan, chair of Springfield Library Foundation, interim library director Fogarty, and Patrick Sullivan of the Department of Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management
January 22, 2010
Update from Ed Pikula
• requirement that the city provide assistance to UL spelled out in detail
• relocation specialist reports that he has been unable to meet with Henry Thomas who has been out of town, but assures the consultant he will be in contact next week [week of January 25]
• relocation specialist expects to receive an inventory, a list of relocation sites and dates for meeting in person
• relocation specialist has asked Planning and Economic Development department for a list of potential sites, has accepted other suggestions and is open to others
• no time table has been established by the law department or specialist for relocation *(Note from Lee Fogarty inserted says a November 2010 reopening date has been set, making May 1 the date by which the UL should have vacated.)
• legal obligation to be responsive to needs of the UL noted
• city is asking its appraiser to suggest an appropriate amount for “use and occupancy” [i.e. “rent”]
January 29, 2010
No update from the law department except that someone from the law department is to attend Feb 3. library commission meeting.
February 3, 2010
Attorney Warren meets with library commission and says only one meeting has been held between the city and the UL and that was two moths ago on December 3, 2009. Library Commission votes to send a letter to Mayor Sarno asking for prompt and steady progress in relocating the UL [letter sent Feb 6].
February 6, 2010 No update from law department; library director Fogarty reports that a meeting between the relocation consultant Mr. Mollica and Henry Thomas of the UL “should be scheduled within the next two weeks” [that is, before February 20]
February 11, 2010 Valley Advocate publishes a story on slow pace of relocating UL
February 19, 2010 report from library director Fogarty on City Council Finance Committee meeting on February 17 in which councilors
• requested an update on the relocation process
• questioned why the UL is still in the building after four months
• said they want to move the process along
• requested a timeline from March to May
• requested a report from the law department before the next meeting
• ask that a report be sent to the media to keep the public informed.
• Ruth Loving and Mo Jones [library advocates] expressed extreme frustration with the process.
• Liz Stevens and Kat Wright spoke.
February 26, 2010
report from library director Lee Fogarty.
• a meeting with Henry Thomas has been set up for next week [week of March 1, ten days after date promised on Feb. 19]
• Atty Bob Warren to attend March 3 library commission meeting to answer questions
March 5, 2010
Attorney Warren reports
• UL has submitted personal property inventory which will be reviewed with library director Fogarty, Bob Warren and Jim Fisher the city’s appraiser “for accuracy and any potential issues”
• the relocation consultant, Mr. Mollica, received a call from Henry Thomas early in the week of March 1 acknowledging the city’s timeline for the UL to vacate was the end of May [note that on January 20, Ed Pikula wrote that it was May 1]
• Regarding replacement sites, Mr. Thomas said he was completing an assessment of replacement sites and was working with an internal committee on replacement sites.
• Mr. Thomas told Mr. Mollica he would be ready to discuss replacement sites next week [week of March 8] via telephone conference
March 12, 2010
report from library director Lee Fogarty.
Mr. Mollica spoke with Henry Thomas re: sites suggested by the department of planning and economic development. Here is that list with the UL’s comments:
• Holy Family Church 235 Eastern Ave—poor location and conversion issues.
• Mosque 727 State St.—too big and potential costly building improvement issues.
Dickinson Funeral Home—305 State St.—did not check out , but not preferable area.
• Verizon Building—365 State St.—too big and limited parking.
• 503 State Street ( next to Burger King)—potential, but too large by itself-space potential is good.
• Former Open Pantry—287 State St.—access to clientele issues.
• Masonic Temple—very concerned with cost to maintain and carry.
• Mason Sq. Fire Station— with location—accessibility and parking.
• MCDI property—140 Wilbraham—concerned that timing would not work-MCDI not ready to leave.
• Property owned by AIC on Mulberry Street as possible build, but AIC wants lot for parking.
• Former Hampden Dodge by Mass Mutual, too big as is and possible retrofit and contamination issues.
In addition, the UL says it needs 2000 to 3000 square feet; Mr. Mollica will submit this to the Planning and Economic Development Department to see if there are other potential sites.
The UL is also looking at three other sites, two of which are confidential. The third is temporary space now used by the Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School; this will be available at the end of the school year.
The UL is aware of the time constraints. Mr. Mollica and Mr. Thomas will talk again next week [week of March 15] with regard to the status of any new sites.
March 20, 2010 report from Atty Warren.
• Mr. Mollica and Mr. Thomas were to have talked on March 19, but did not.
• Earlier in the week they discussed the former Kavanaugh Furniture site which Mr. Thomas, having visited it, rejected as too large.
• Mr. Mollica will recontact the Planning and Economic Development Department about other sites
• Architect Steve Jablonski has submitted his proposal for architectural services to Pat Sullivan and the contract is in process
• A request for a notice to proceed has been made to the purchasing department to begin repair and renovation work on 765 State Street as soon as possible.
April 5, 2010
Email from library director Fogarty saying there had been no update on March 26 because there was nothing to report.
April 9, 2010
report from Atty Warren
• Mr. Thomas told Mr. Mollica that he was waiting for a couple of principals of the replacement locations to get back to him with pricing points
• Mr. Thomas also said he was contacted by commercial realtor Bob Greeley about two locations, one of which the UL rejected and one of which he was going to follow up.
• The law department will be receiving a real estate appraisers report which will provide the basis for the city to discuss with the UL a use and occupancy agreement and/or use and occupancy charge (i.e. rent) which would not be assessed until after the end of May.
