Geneva Decides Against Moving Library to Cetron Property

Geneva library officials this week decided not to move from its longtime spot at Second and James streets to the former Cetron building location on Hamilton Street.

Based on your experience with the Batavia Library, what do you think? Did Geneva make the right move?

The Geneva library's website posts this simple message: "As a result of inspections and evaluations made during the due diligence process, the Library District decided not to proceed with the purchase of the Cetron property. The Board and staff will be working on the next steps and plans for our future."

The library still has the right of first refusal for the former Sixth Street School property, presently the home of the Kane County Regional Office of Education.

One of the reasons the board chose not to pursue the Cetron purchase likely has to do with the inspection of the property and cost of environmental cleanup. According to articles in the Kane County Chronicle and Daily Herald, board members were asked not to comment about the specifics of the due diligence or environmental-cleanup costs.

The Cetron building and additional property, once valued at about $4 million, would have been purchased for about $2 million if the library deal had gone through. The Geneva Public Library signed a contract to purchase the Cetron Building in March of this year.