Lancaster Public Library announces plans to move, sell building to St. James Episcopal Church

As Lancaster Public Library prepares to relocate, its board of trustees announced Wednesday an agreement to sell the library building at 125 N. Duke St.

The purchasers are a group of local investors who are buying the building for its eventual use by historic St. James Episcopal Church, a longtime neighbor of the library.

The price of the transaction will be disclosed once the sale closes, which should be within the next two years. Lancaster-based PPM Real Estate has been retained to manage the sale.

Founded in 1759, Lancaster Public Library is one of the oldest public libraries in the country. Today, it serves approximately 211,000 Lancaster County residents in 14 municipalities.

“The most fiscally responsible decision the board can make in preparation for the library’s move to Barney Ewell Plaza is to first secure the sale of the Duke Street building,” Board of Trustees President Aaron Sherman said in a release.

A capital campaign is also being done to support the move.

The library will occupy the first two floors of a new nine-story building facing the former Lancaster Square, which “will improve library services to the Lancaster community with expanded and improved interior and exterior spaces, ADA compliance, and closer proximity to the heart of downtown Lancaster,” the release said.

After the shell of the space is finished, the library is responsible for finishing, equipping and furnishing the interior.

Until that’s done, the library will remain at its current site and keep ownership of the building. Once the move is complete and the sale is finalized, the property will likely be converted to offices until St. James, a parish that dates to 1744, has finalized its plans for the building.

“Only once in a century does an opportunity like this appear,” said Rev. David Peck, rector of St. James, in the release. “As a parish that continues to grow, the lay leadership of St. James is grateful for the chance to explore every option for this property, with insight from our many ministry partners, including our bishop and diocese, as well as members of the congregation and wider community.”