Architect: Carnegie Library in Great Shape

Carnegie Library is in phenomenal shape, said an architect who is studying the interiors of the building at Monday’s Village Board of Trustees meeting at .

Joseph Catropa, a senior architect from L.K. Mclean Associates, presented his progress on an engineering report on the building, during which he raved about how the building has held up .

“When I first stepped in the Main Hall, you can almost hear the books move because it's standing in time,” Catropa said.

Catropa reported that the interior has remained basic, with the original flooring, some windows and general physical space remaining in shape. The library originally opened in 1908 and was used as a library until 1981. The library is now owned by Tritec Real Estate Inc., which is obligated to move the library as part of its in downtown Patchogue.

Catropa noted that it was actually an addition to the building’s original design that has seen the most wear during its time. The building also only has one roof leak.

Catropa’s report will be finalized in January. He intends to share the information with Tritec, but the report is primarily going to be used by the Village.

“There is information in that report that may help them, but they’re on their own engineers,” Trustee Gerard Crean said.

Crean said that the purpose of the report is to provide the Village with information on the soundness of the structure and also to provide structural drawings, which is an obligation of the Village. The information will be used to determine the extent the library would need to be rehabilitated.

“The extent of the renovations and the use will be determined after the move, unless between now and then we are able to finalize an agreement with a potential user, that is a possibility,” Crean said. He continued that there are ongoing private discussions with potential users of the building.

Of the interested people, trustee Lori Devlin said that Campbell Dalglish of the Plaza Cinema and Media Arts Center expressed interest in opening a film school in the building, but the Village needs to know the cost of rehabilitating the building in order to determine a rent price.

“We need to have more definitive information as far as costs,” Devlin said.

The Board is yet to make a decision on where to move the library to, but Catropa gave several suggestions involving current Village parking lots and mentioned that these locations would likely cost the Village between 12 and 22 parking spaces. A adjacent to the ’s parking lot was opposed by the department’s chief, Joe Perry, due to parking and safety issues. That location is now listed as a last resort.

Trustee Lori Devlin asked about potential asbestos issues, which Catropa said was very likely to be in the building as that was a product of the construction for the time period.

Overall, Catropa estimated that approximately 75 to 80 percent of the Carnegie Library is made up of its original building material.

Resident David Kennedy, who has been forming the , was glad to see the Village move forward toward trying to save the building.

“Thank you very much for geting that done," Kennedy said. "It was very encouraging from what I heard certainly."