Ithaca’s old county library building may face demolition in 2018 as part of the Tompkins County Legislature 20-year capital plan. The 20-year plan is designed to create space for a new governmental office building, which will house legislative and administration offices.

The county library building is currently used for storage of records and voting machines, while the basement is home to the community justice program.

“The cost-benefit analysis of investing in (the old library) to make it workable doesn’t make sense in terms of the roof, in terms of the asbestos. But we just don’t have the funds. We won’t have them for some time,” said Legislature Chairman Mike Koplinka-Loehr, D-Town of Ithaca.

Asbestos abatement can often be a costly, but necessary step, in the renovation or demolition of older buildings. Asbestos was used in older buildings because it was both flame retardant and had a high resistance to corrosive and chemical damage.

Asbestos abatement is crucial in older buildings. During renovation or demolition, asbestos may break down into tiny fibers. These fibers can cause major damage to the human body when inhaled. Asbestos inhalation has been linked to diseases such as asbestosis (a chronic inflammation of the lungs), lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma can manifest in three different forms. Pleural mesothelioma affects the lining of the lungs, pericardial mesothelioma affects the lining of the heart, and peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining of the abdomen. In most cases, mesothelioma is diagnosed late in life. Once diagnosed, most patients only have months to live.

While the current plan calls for the demolition of the building in 2018, city commissioners are quick to point out that the 2018 date is subject to change.

The value of the land without the building is assessed at $280,000. Mr. Koplinka-Loehr said the county is willing to entertain offers on the old library, providing the Legislature would have space.

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