UPDATED at 4:40 p.m. Nov. 19th
The History Center of Traverse City should share the city-owned Carnegie Library building with a local arts organization. That’s the recommendation of three Traverse City commissioners plotting the building’s future.
Traverse City Manager JeredOttenwess suggests a three-way deal, with the History Center and Crooked Tree Arts Center as the two main tenants.
He says the city would pay utilities and maintenance costs for the Carnegie building, while collecting about $50,000 in annual lease payments from the two tenants.
The History Center had been managing the 111-year-old building but says it can no longer afford to maintain it.
Paul LaPorte of Crooked Tree Arts Center says talks with the History Center have been going on for about a year.
“I think that we are at a point now with the evolution of this concept that we find two organizations that are passionate about the use of that building, who desperately want to work together," said LaPorte.
Crooked Tree is based in Petoskey but recently merged with ArtCenter Traverse City. Executive Director Liz Ahrens says the organization operates out of a similar Carnegie building in Petoskey.
“We know how to do this," says Ahrens. "We’re really comfortable with it. This is going to be our main building in Traverse City for the next three years.”
The History Center would continue to maintain the city’s Con Foster collection, which is housed in the basement.
An ad hoc committee that has been debating the future of the Carnegie Library building agreed to the plan Wednesday. The recommendation now goes to the Traverse City commission.
While a deal is being worked out, the History Center will continue to stay in the Carnegie building, although it will not be open to the public. It will be open next month for the Festival of Trains.