Work has begun on a new township ha
ll to be added to the Leighton Township Library just off 12th Street in Moline.
Leighton Township Supervisor Steve Deer said he expects offices in the new hall to be completed by October, the renovations for the current hall into an expanded fire station on Kalamazoo Avenue and the entire project done by Christmas.
However, expansion of the library into a much larger building housing the township hall nas caused the necessity of adding fire suppression sprinklers inside the building. So the Library Board and Township Board now have to haggle over which entity will pay what portion of the $71,500 cost.
Deer acknowledged library officials’ contentions that the township addition at the site caused the need for fire suppression, but he also noted the library will receive the benefit of the sprinklers.
Township officials voted to start the process by offering to pay 60 percent of the costs, noting the library still will take up 45% of the entire square footage. Library Director Karen McKinnon said she could not comment on the offer, but would take it to the Library Board for its June 20 meeting for a possible counter offer.
The Township Board last year voted to move out of its cramped quarters for offices and meetings and leave behind a chance for the fire department, which shares the building, to expand and meet its needs. The board decided to move into the library building because it was the most cost effective option.
PHOTO: Construction on the Leighton Township Hall has begun at the site of the Leighton Township Library.
