It’s hard to imagine how Henry Thomas, president of the Springfield Urban League, could have somehow missed this message. But let’s try it again: It’s time for you to leave 765 State St., and let Mason Square have back its library.
Thomas’ first big clue might have been the unanimous vote, in August of 2009, by the Springfield City Council, taking the building by eminent domain to restore a full library branch in the neighborhood. Since then, the city Law Department and a “relocation expert” have been working (although perhaps not as aggressively as many, including residents and city councilors, would like to see) with the Urban League to help it find a new home. The Urban League had bought 765 State for a song from the then-Springfield Library & Museums Association in a secretive deal back in 2003.
The Urban League’s moving date has been continually pushed back for more than a year, leaving the neighborhood’s dreams of getting back its library on hold, time and again. Most recently, City Hall announced a timeline that would have the Urban League out of the space by Sept. 30, which would allow a grand library re-opening sometime in November.
But now it looks like there might be yet another delay. According to a Sept. 3 update report on the project by City Solicitor Ed Pikula, the relocation consultant recently “spoke with the Urban League relocation expert and was unable to obtain an assurance that the Urban League would be out by the deadline promised.
“This may simply be miscommunication between … the Urban League relocation expert and Mr. Thomas,” added Pikula. Nonetheless, the solicitor has sent Thomas a letter reminding him of earlier promises to move out of 765 State.
“Dear Mr. Thomas: In your letter dated June 25, 2010 received June 29, 2010 you provided assurances that … the Urban League will vacate ‘no later than September 30, 2010’ and you stated that you anticipated that ‘the actual date will be earlier than September 30, 2010,’” Pikula wrote.
“I received a report from the City’s relocation expert which is causing me to write to you to express my concern that the Urban League stay on track to meet the deadline of September 30, 2010. Based upon my conversation with Mr. Mollica, it appears that he has had some difficulty with respect to confirmation of the Urban League plans and efforts to move. Please confirm that the Urban League will vacate by September 30th. Considering the Library Plans for renovation and move-in schedule, it is very important that the Urban League meet the deadline.
“Please contact me at your earliest convenience to confirm,” Pikula added.
(I’d love to report here what Thomas has to say about the latest “miscommunication,” but, unfortunately, he hasn’t responded to calls from the Advocate for the past couple of years.)
City Councilor Tim Rooke—who has repeatedly expressed deep frustrations over the lack of movement on this issue by both the Urban League and City Hall—suggests it’s time for the city to take strong action to get back the Mason Square library. “I guess now would be a good time for us to exercise our powers to vacate the premises with Sheriffs,” Rooke told the Advocate in an email. “I would have done it a long time ago. The entire purpose of getting them out of the library was so that the kids could use it for this academic school year with tutors, computers, safe environment, etc. How discouraging. We will get this resolved.”
Rooke has called for a City Council committee meeting to discuss the matter; on the agenda, he’s like to see the “relocation, the rent, the exit plan for [the Urban League] and our last option plan for eviction by Sheriffs if needed.”
