Demolition of the former Touhey Building begins this fall

In September the Library contracted with the Empire Dismantling Corporation for the demolition of the former Touhey building, and preparation for the work is officially underway. Based on the contract, demolition is expected to be completed by the end of November. Representatives from the Library’s Building Committee are meeting with the contractor on October 2 to discuss the schedule of operations for the demolition and to determine any potential disruptions to library operations. Communications regarding disruptions will be distributed via press releases to the Finger Lakes Times, special library newsletters, and the Library’s standard information outlets. The construction of the new parking lot is slated for the spring of 2020, with a request for bids to be published for prospective contractors this winter. Following demolition, the site of the former Touhey building will be levelled with crushed stone in preparation for the new parking lot and cordoned off from access by the public until construction resumes in the spring.
​The Library has been awarded $244,668 in New York State Public Library Construction Grant funds to help fund the acquisition and demolition of the former Touhey building. We recently completed another grant application for further funding to help offset the parking lot construction and design expenses. The project expenses not covered through the grant will be paid for with the Library’s existing Capital Fund reserves and gift funds.

The plans for construction of the library's new parking lot, on the site of the former Touhey Building