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49 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, April 20, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend April 5, 2004 Empty shelves line the former nonfiction section of the Carnegie library building in downtown Medford. With the new Central Library�s grand opening Sunday, questions of the old building�s future use remain. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Rules limit Carnegie uses Medford wants to restrict tenants to a fifth of the space, but the historical society would need more By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune City rules allowing future tenants of the Carnegie Library to use a fifth of the building could keep some interested organizations from moving in. The city is taking requests from groups interested in leasing and renovating the old library but is limiting space awarded to each agency to 3,000 square feet. City departments also will be allowed to bid for tenancy despite a recommendation that the building become a cultural meeting place. The Southern Oregon Historical Society has broached a plan to move its research library, collections and offices to the Carnegie Library but would need about half of the 15,000 square-foot building, said Executive Director John Enders. Under the historical society’s proposal, it would be the building’s main tenant and steward, Enders said. But guidelines set up by the city are designed to prohibit one dominant tenant, said Jef Faw, deputy city manager. If city offices were allowed to move in, they would be subject to the same space limitations, he said. "We know that (the city) council does not want it to be an office building," Faw said. Advertisement Parks and recreation is the only city department interested in using the Carnegie building, said Councilman Skip Knight. Displaced since the Lausmann Annex was remodeled to accommodate the city’s 911 and emergency dispatch center, Parks and Recreation had planned to move to the Santo Center on Columbus Avenue. But the department would be more conveniently located nearer City Hall and ultimately would be responsible for the old library’s upkeep, officials said. Some interested tenants said they aren’t opposed to sharing office space. But co-habiting with city departments doesn’t fit the image of a community gathering place, said Connie Saldana of the Multi-Cultural Association of Southern Oregon. "The whole point is ... that’s a beautiful building that should be available to the community," Saldana said. A committee assigned to advise the City Council on the old library’s future recommended its reincarnation as a community and cultural center. A report submitted in February outlined the potential for offices for nonprofit groups; multipurpose rooms for meetings, classes and workshops; and a kitchen that could be used by caterers at events. The top floor could become a space for performances, art displays, and city and private receptions. The recommendation matches Saldana’s vision of common space available to everyone rather than divisions among groups, she said. In addition to the historical society and multi-cultural association, several other organizations want a stake in the building. They include the Arts Council of Southern Oregon, Oregon Conservatory of Performing Arts, the Human Rights Coalition, the Rogue Valley Women’s Alliance, League of Women Voters, Centro Hispano, and several American Indian groups. Although the Historical Society has actively participated in discussions on the old library’s future, the society’s board of directors has not decided if occupying the Carnegie building would benefit the society over the long term, Enders said. With its downtown history center up for sale, the society has several other options for relocating, he said. The historical society, however, is possibly the most capable of marshaling the community support needed to restore the building, Enders said. Restoration was among the Carnegie committee’s top priorities, said committee member Sue Densmore. Forms submitting qualifications for occupying the Carnegie Library building can be obtained from the city of Medford at www.ci.medford.or.us . 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