LANCASTER, Pa. — The Lancaster Public Library's Board of Trustees announced Wednesday it has reached an agreement of sale for the library building located at 125 North Duke Street.
The building is under agreement to be sold to a group of investors "with strong public ties to the community" who are buying the property "for its ultimate use by Saint James Episcopal Church," LPL said in a press release.
The church, located at 119 N. Duke St., has been a neighbor of the library building for more than 100 years, LPL said.
LPL said the agreement of sale comes ahead of a planned move by LPL to a new location at Ewell Plaza on North Queen Street in a few years. The sale agreement is part of a capital campaign in support of that move, according to LPL.
"The most fiscally responsible decision the board can make in preparation for the library’s move to Barney Ewell Plaza is to first secure the sale of the Duke Street building," LPL Board of Trustees President Aaron Sherman said in the release.
The Lancaster Public Library has been located on N. Duke St. since 1898, when it moved to the donated home of A. Herr Smith. A new building was constructed at the location on 125 N. Duke St. in 1954.
Rev. David Peck, rector of Saint James, said the chance to purchase the library building was a once-in-a-century opportunity.
"As a parish that continues to grow, the lay leadership of Saint James is grateful for the chance to explore every option for this property, with insight from our many ministry partners, including our bishop and diocese, as well as members of the congregation and wider community," he said.
Until the new facility in Ewell Plaza is ready, the library will retain ownership of and continue to operate in its current location, LPL said. Once the library move is complete and the sale transaction is closed, the property will most likely be converted to office use until Saint James has finalized the long-term plans for the building.
In the meantime, Saint James will begin a discernment process to assess how the property will add to its ongoing commitment to civic and spiritual renewal, sustainability, and community focused growth, according to LPL.
The Lancaster Parking Authority has invited LPL to occupy the first two floors of a new nine-story structure facing the former Lancaster Square. After the shell of the space is complete, LPL must finish, equip, and furnish the interior.
"The new building will improve library services to the Lancaster community with expanded and improved interior and exterior spaces, ADA compliance, and closer proximity to the heart of downtown Lancaster," LPL said.
The purchase price of the current library property will be disclosed once the transaction closes, which is anticipated to occur within the next two years, according to LPL, which has retained Lancaster-based PPM Real Estate Brokerage Firm to manage the sale.
