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Archiver > PACRAWFO > 2003-09 > 1064893849


From: "J. Garland" <>
Subject: Re: [PACrawf'rd] Crawford County Historical Society moving
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2003 20:50:49 -0700
References: <000201c386fb$fbd6fdb0$6401a8c0@KJAOFFICE>


It's good news to hear that this has been settled in a way that will be good
for the community. And will give the society a secure location with a long
future ahead of it.

Are there any photos of the Barco-Duratz building on line?

Jan G.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Karen Ahlgren" <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2003 7:38 PM
Subject: [PACrawf'rd] Crawford County Historical Society moving


>
> For those who followed some of the previous information on this subject.
> The article appeared in the Meadville Tribune last week.
>
> Historical society moving to new site
> By Keith Gushard
> The Crawford County Historical Society gets the high-quality facility
> and long-term security it needs.
> The Meadville Public Library gets the space it needs to expand.
> And a long-time library benefactor's dream came true.
> It was a win-win-win Wednesday as the historical society announced a
> firm plan to move out of its current home on the second floor of the
> library and into the first floor of the library-owned Barco-Duratz
> Cultural Center on Chestnut Street.
> Under the plan, the historical society will pay for renovations expected
> to cost between $5,000 and $10,000 and lease the first-floor space rent
> free for 10 years. The society will have to pay utilities. At lease's
> end, the society has the option to buy the entire building at a
> "discounted price," according to society President Dan Higham, who would
> not reveal the number.
> In the end, it was the option to buy that unstuck years of negotiations
> that recently appeared to have come to a stalemate.
> Talks about the move began not long after the building was donated to
> the library, and the society was offered terms that included a 30-year
> lease and help with renovations. However, society officials were worried
> about their status once the lease expired; they didn't want the
> possibility of being sent packing with their extensive collection of
> artifacts in tow.
> The tenor of the talks was not enhanced when the library announced plans
> to take back some of the space on the second floor of the library
> building being used by the society. The library said the move was needed
> to expand its operations.
> The donor of the Barco-Duratz Cultural Center, Jim Duratz, was credited
> by both organizations with a leading role in establishing the deal
> announced Wednesday.
> Both Higham and library board President Steve Mizner thanked Duratz, who
> was in attendance, for keeping the groups focused.
> "Jim's determination was one of the reasons we got this deal through,"
> said Mizner. "We left our egos at the door. The number one objective was
> what was best for the Meadville community, what was best for the
> Meadville Public Library and what was best for the Crawford County
> Historical Society."
> It was in November 2000 that Duratz donated the building to the
> Meadville Public Library for use as a cultural center in memory of his
> late wife, Helene Barco Duratz.
> As a member of the library board, Helene knew that the library needed
> more space, as did the historical society, which also needed a facility
> with precise climate controls better able to preserve documents and
> artifacts.
> Before her death, Helene discussed donating the former Barco and Barco
> law firm offices to the library as a way to address both organizations'
> needs. She passed away before the donation was done, and Jim followed
> through on her wish.
> He was pleased with Wednesday's announcement.
> "It's meant for the community," Duratz said. "It's something Helene
> wanted badly. I'm just happy it's all done."
> "It's a huge step," said Higham, who noted the move is expected to be
> complete by the end of the year.
> "It will make us a more autonomous society," said Higham, noting that
> "It's a huge financial commitment and we have to come up with a
> significant amount of money and we have every intention of doing that."
> With the center as the historical society's new home, it will be able to
> display more of its collections of folk art, railroad and Talon Inc.
> memorabilia, Higham said.
> "We have one of the three best collections in the state and pre-1840 the
> best collection," he said. "It's a wonderful facility to put it in."
> It will be used for local cultural and visiting writer programs as well.
> "We intend to treat it very much as a cultural center," Higham said.
> With the historical society moving, the freed-up second floor space at
> Meadville Public Library will have multiple uses, said John Brice, the
> library's executive director.
> The library plans to expand its fiction department and the non-public
> section of the library's second floor will house internal computer
> equipment and administrative offices which will free up space on the
> library's first floor.
> "It will have a domino effect (on the library's internal space)," Brice
> said.
> The library will also continue to be responsible for and have at its
> disposal the second floor of the center
>
>
>
>
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