PARMA HEIGHTS, Ohio — Some community members are speaking out and fighting to save what they're claiming is a "historic landmark" in Parma Heights.
The Parma Heights Library has been a community staple for more than six decades.
The city has now secured funding and is preparing to demolish the building to make way for a brand-new library in the same area.
The city and some community members say the library is in dire need of upgrades.
They say it makes far more sense to knock it down.
However, some residents say that this should be out of the question and claim that the building could be in history books.
The saying "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" has taken on a literal meaning for long-time Parma Heights residents and library go-ers who frequent the Pearl Road branch.
"I think it's beautifully ugly. Just like all the other libraries that were built in that time," Leo Ciccotosto of Strongsville said.
They're often captivated by the space age, out-of-this-world exterior and saucer shape.
"It's a wonderful place. It's a building like no other," Jim Wohl of Parma Heights said.
"You could say this is the small nephew of the Seattle Space Needle," Emery Pinter of Parma Heights said.
For Pinter, his connection and memories go way back.
He swam at the nearby pool in the summer and would read books at the library with his buddies as a young child.
He's now on a mission to preserve what he says should be a candidate for the National Register of Historic Places.
"I wanna save the library because it has architectural and historical significance. This was the first municipality in the state of Ohio that created a bond issue to make a library and set a legal precedent," Pinter said.
Regardless, the City of Parma Heights is moving full steam ahead with plans to demolish the old 15,000 square foot library and build a brand new one virtually right across from it in the same area.
The new library will be constructed where the former ice rink and old indoor soccer facility once stood.
"It's a huge upgrade for our community," Mayor Marie Gallo said.
Gallo has championed a new upgraded branch for the last three years and got unanimous approval from city council and library officials to make it happen.
Renderings show what the $16 million project will look like.
The building will sit at a sprawling 22,000 square feet and feature multiple new amenities that she says will keep it in operation for decades.
"A lot of cultural, recreational and educational amenities besides just books—an upgrade in technology. So, it will bring a lot to our city that our current library does not offer," the mayor said.
Gallo says the old library is in dire need of repairs, which are very apparent from the outside to the inside.
She pointed out the bricks were in bad shape and cracking.
The paint is chipped and peeling.
The windows are fogged up and sometimes leaking.
The furniture needs re-upholstered.
There's also a critical need for a new HVAC system.
"The upgrades alone—if we were to keep the old building, are in excess of a million dollars. And to re-purpose the building into something else would-be additional cost," the mayor said.
Pinter stresses he's not anti-new library.
He says he wants the city to save the building.
"This is a solid building, and it can be re-purposed. It could be used as a teen, senior activity center or it could be expanded into Parma Heights Historical Museum," Pinter said.
Gallo says they have to look to the future and be realistic.
"It's not a historical building and to preserve the integrity of that design would be a fiscal drain on the city," Gallo said.
Groundbreaking on the new library is set for mid-October.
It's set to take at least 13 months to build.
The city says they will keep the old library open right up until the day the new one is ready for the public.
The city says it will create more union jobs as well.
Pinter is currently circulating a petition to preserve the library.
You can sign it here.
Once the library is demolished, the area will be turned into green space until the city decides what to do next.
They say it will complement the Veterans Memorial and nearby gazebo.
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