Remnant Remnants: Marketing campaign aims to find new tenant at Carnegie building in downtown Jeffersonville

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The Jeffersonville Carnegie Library Foundation has launched a marketing campaign to find a new tenant for the Warder Park building. The space is still vacant more than a year after rare document collectors, The Remnant Trust, abruptly left. Photo by Ralph Homan
The building, completed in 1903, had a $4 million restoration in 2006. The cherry, mahogany and maple woodworking on the main floor was hand-milled. Photo by Ralph Homan

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May 1, 2010

By DAVID A. MANN David.Mann@newsandtribune.com The News and Tribune Sun May 02, 2010, 06:40 PM EDT

JEFFERSONVILLE — The cherry, mahogany and maple woodworking on the main floor was hand-milled. The original brickwork in the basement has been preserved for the last 100 years. And the copper dome atop it all — an easily recognizable attribute of the historic structure — only recently underwent repairs.

Unfortunately, however, there's still an echo inside the Jeffersonville Carnegie Library building, just off Court Avenue in Warder Park.

The space is vacant more than a year after rare document collectors, The Remnant Trust, abruptly left, citing continued problems with humidity in the building. Trust founder Brian Bex said the humidity threatened many of their ancient texts.

“It was just disappointing from the community’s standpoint,” Jeffersonville Carnegie Library Foundation Board member Rita Shourds said of the trust’s exit.

The community isn’t going to be able to enjoy, read and — in some cases — touch the trust’s ancient documents, many of which were devoted to the subject of human liberty.

“I was saddened by it,” she said.

However, in the absence of the trust’s collection, there still sits a historic and recently restored structure. And, with a freshly launched marketing campaign, the board is trying to find a new tenant for the building.

“What we really want to do is to find an organization that wants to be in Jeffersonville,” said Robyn Davis Sekula, public relations consultant for the organization.

She helped put together a new glossy brochure that the board recently sent to about 250 local foundations, nonprofits and community leaders, soliciting interest in the building.

“The building could provide a lot of visibility for the right tenant,” Sekula said.

The space is about 7,500 square feet. The ground floor, accessible from an alley in the rear of the building, includes a small kitchen, two bathrooms, storage rooms and a conference room. The main floor features a large library and side rooms with built in bookshelves. At the back of the first floor, is a long room which would accommodate a reception area or office. And there’s more office space with three rooms available upstairs.

The building, completed in 1903, had a new electrical heating and air conditioning, plumbing and sprinkler system installed during a $4 million restoration in 2006.

The board is looking to lease the building rather than sell.

Ideally, Sekula said, the building would house a tenant that has some sort of collection to display, thus utilizing the wall shelves. The tenant would also have to be able to handle the building’s about $2,000 to $2,500 in monthly utility bills.

Shourds said she would like to see a tenant occupy the space that would allow the public to occasionally come in and enjoy the building.

“It’s absolutely gorgeous. The grandeur, the craftsmanship — there’s nothing like it,” Shourds said.

Carnegie libraries are named for their benefactor, wealthy steel and railroad magnate Andrew Carnegie, who funded 1,679 libraries across the country. The Beaux-Arts style building was originally designed by Jeffersonville native Arthur Loomis and operated as a library from 1905 to the mid-1960s.

It has been used as offices by Indiana University Southeast, Haven House Services Inc., Clark County’s chamber of commerce and other organizations. It was acquired by the Jeffersonville Carnegie Library Foundation in 2003.

“What we’re seeking is a true community partner who is committed to being in the area on a long-term basis and keeping the building open for some public hours as well,” foundation Chairman Tom Lindley said in a press release. “This could be a tremendous opportunity for an organization, and we’re looking forward to seeing proposals.”

Organizations that wish to be considered should prepare a proposal that includes basic information about the organization; the plans for the building; the number of staff; why the organization’s leadership believes that Jeffersonville is a good choice; an annual budget; and a list of the board of directors of the organization.

Information from prospective tenants should be sent to Tom Lindley, chairman, Jeffersonville Carnegie Library Foundation Inc., P.O. Box 4423, Jeffersonville, IN, 47130.

Those with questions can call Sekula at 812-981-8223 or e-mail to robynsekula@sbcglobal.net.

TENANT REQUIREMENTS

• A nonprofit organization is the preferred tenant, but other types of organizations, including businesses, will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All organizations should be well-established.

• The tenant will be required to sign a five-year lease.

• The tenant will be required to hold consistent daytime hours when the public can see the building for at least eight hours per week. The tenant will be expected to work with educational organizations, including schools, who wish to tour the building on field trips and other events.

• The tenant will be expected to communicate regularly with the Jeffersonville Carnegie Library Foundation board, and will be invited to send a representative to monthly board meetings.

• The tenant will be required to pay all utilities, security fees and routine maintenance on the systems in the building. It will be up to the tenant to hire the services needed to run the building on a daily basis.

• All changes to the building must be approved by the JCLF board before attempted by the tenant.

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Remnant Remnants: Marketing campaign aims to find new tenant at Carnegie building in downtown Jeffersonville

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