The controversial proposal to move the Chapel Hill Public Library to University Mall appears dead.
In an e-mail to Town Council members Wednesday night, Chapel Hill Town Manager Roger Stancil says the town and mall owner Madison Marquette have not been able to reach a level of savings over expanding the library at its current site to make a permanent move to the mall feasible.
The Town Council is scheduled to discuss the mall offer Monday night. The town has received more than 1,000 e-mails about the proposal to move the libary into the Dillard's location, most of them negative.
"I will leave the Library item on the agenda for your discussion Monday night but [Madison Marquettte managing director Jay Lask] and I share the view that we have not been able to reach a level of savings that makes this an attractive offer to the Town, given all the other concerns raised," Stancil said in his e-mail.
"We have not negotiated in this process, but we did encourage Madison Marquette to put their best offer on the table," he continued. "While initiating negotiations would provide an opportunity to clarify many of the issues raised, those negotiations would not likely increase the savings and would delay the opening of new library facilities."
The town inititally estimated it could save taxpayers $4 million by moving to the mall instead of carrying out a planned $16 million expansion approved by voters at the library's current site off Estes Drive. But the town's initial cost comparison did not include the $4 million cash purchase price the mall wanted for the Dillard's space.
In a letter, Lask said Madison Marquette still thinks the move could save the town $1.5 million in construction costs less than half the original estimated savings.
"Understandably, without there being significant cost savings, a change the direction of a project so close to ground breaking that has been in planning for so many years is hard to justify," Lask wrote. "While we believe the Town could utilize the library as a catalyst for economic growth, we also understand the reasons why it may choose not to do so, particularly so close to groundbreaking."
