{"id":140,"date":"2016-03-10T10:46:51","date_gmt":"2016-03-10T16:46:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.uww.edu\/thecapstone\/?p=140"},"modified":"2016-03-10T10:46:51","modified_gmt":"2016-03-10T16:46:51","slug":"council-looks-at-library-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.uww.edu\/thecapstone\/2016\/03\/10\/council-looks-at-library-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Council looks at library plan"},"content":{"rendered":"

By JAMES KATES \/ <\/strong>Capstone Managing Editor<\/p>\n

Whitewater Common Council members agreed Tuesday to explore a public\/private partnership that could help build a new Whitewater Public Library.<\/p>\n

The board voted to reach out to Troy J. Hoekstra of United Development Solutions, which recently broke ground for a hotel in Platteville that will include space for a library.<\/p>\n

Under such a deal \u2013 which in Whitewater is only in the exploratory phase \u2013 the developer would build the project, lease about 25,000 square feet to the library for a seven-year term, then donate the space to the library after that.<\/p>\n

As envisioned, the deal might cost the city about $4 million for a library that otherwise would cost $7 million to $8 million, City Manager Cameron Clapper said. The city\u2019s cost would include initial funding of about $2.5 million and annual lease payments of about $250,000, Clapper told the council.<\/p>\n

The incentive for the developer is the New Markets Tax Credits program, under which companies get federal tax breaks to build projects that create jobs in areas with comparatively weak economies.<\/p>\n

The credits pay out over seven years, and investors would get a tax write-off by donating the space to the city afterward, Clapper said.<\/p>\n

Stacey Lunsford, Irvin L. Young Memorial Library director since 2001, said the plan would meet the library\u2019s space needs. A suitable city-funded expansion at the library\u2019s current location, 431 W. Center St., would cost $10 million, which is beyond the city\u2019s means, Lunsford said.<\/p>\n

Hoekstra\u2019s company wants to put the new project on Main Street near the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus, Lunsford told the council.<\/p>\n

Some councilmembers, including Stephanie Goettl, questioned whether a proper location was available and whether the requirement for donation of the space after seven years could be made legally binding.<\/p>\n

But Councilmember Christopher Grady said it was up to Hoekstra \u2013 or any other qualified developer \u2013 to perform \u201cdue diligence\u201d to find a site and draft the agreement. Once that is done, the city can decide whether to move forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t imagine that we wouldn\u2019t want to approach this with an open mind,\u201d Councilmember Lynn Binnie added.<\/p>\n

In other action Tuesday, the council:<\/p>\n