Finding a suitable use for the former Portsmouth Library building at the corner of Islington and Middle streets is a complicated challenge. Deed restrictions require the city to preserve the building’s historic features, and any suggested use for the structure must first go through the courts.

Most residents feel the city should work to maintain ownership of the property and create a public resource currently lacking in the downtown area. Ideas generated during a public listening session held at the new library on Jan. 9 included turning the building into an art museum, historic library or a multi-faceted cultural center.

The listening session was hosted by the city’s Blue Ribbon Committee on Building Re-use, established in September to explore possible uses for six vacant or soon-to-be vacant buildings in Portsmouth. The old library is currently being used for storage of books and other items not yet transferred to the new Portsmouth Library at 175 Parrott Ave., which opened to the public on Dec. 18.

The former library is actually composed of three separate brick buildings. The Portsmouth Academy, which was built in 1809 and previously served as a school, was converted into the public library in 1896. The Benedict House, built in 1810, was later added to house administrative offices. The city built a large addition in 1976, increasing the structure’s size to 16,000 square feet.

But decades-old deed restrictions place a number of obstacles in the path of a new use. If the building is sold or leased to a new tenant, the full value of proceeds must go to the new library in order to honor the original intent of the deed.

The city or any new tenant is prohibited from altering any features of the building which have been deemed historic, including spiral staircases, fireplaces, six-panel doors and architecturally significant moldings and shutters. As a result, interior demolition is nearly impossible.

Any new use of the building, whether municipal, public or private, must be approved by the probate court, which will determine if the original language of the deed is being honored.

The cost of a new project is also prohibitive. Blue Ribbon Committee member Tom Heany placed annual operating expenses, such as electricity, heating and real estate taxes, at close to $200,000. A number of capital improvements will be required in coming years, including a new air conditioning system, a replacement boiler and a new roof.

The total cost of these projects is difficult to estimate, but paints a worrying picture.

“We wouldn’t be surprised if that number is a seven-figure number,” Heany said.

The Blue Ribbon Committee already has approached each city department to see if there is a municipal use for the building, but no department has expressed interest, City Councilor and committee member Chris Dwyer said.

But members of the public have thought up plenty of ideas. Residents who attended the listening session on Jan. 9 broke into groups to brainstorm possible uses for the building and later detailed their ideas. The most common themes between each group were the desire for some kind of community or visitor center, an art or history museum, or a library of historical archives and memorabilia.

Noting that the structure could be sold or leased as three separate buildings, many residents suggested a mixed-use facility with private and public space. But most maintained the building should stay within the city’s control.

The concept of an art museum seemed particularly appealing to many residents, some of whom noted a gap in major art museums between Boston, Mass., and Portland, Maine.

“Portsmouth is lacking that, and yet there are a lot of noble artists here,” said Barbara Conover.

But Dwyer, a board member at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, said moving any existing art collection to an old building like the library would pose a number of insurance risks. Exposure to daylight, high humidity levels and low security could threaten precious artworks, she said. 

The Blue Ribbon Committee will hold its next general meeting on Jan. 17 before reporting to the City Council with an update on Jan. 22. The committee will soon announce a public hearing regarding the old library, and additional listening sessions have been scheduled over the next two months.

A session regarding the long-vacant Lafayette School will be held at City Hall on Feb. 20. A separate session addressing the Rock Street public works garage and the Plains School is scheduled for March 6 in City Hall. A session regarding the South Meeting House, which will be vacated by the Children’s Museum of Portsmouth in 2008, will be held at City Hall on March 20.

Also on the committee’s agenda is the Creek firehouse at 251 Bartlett St., although a specific listening session has not been scheduled. There will be a meeting on public use criteria and building stewardship policies at City Hall on Jan. 30.

Members of the public are encouraged to participate throughout the process to help the Blue Ribbon Committee determine desirable uses with economic and public value. The committee plays an advisory role to the City Council and will dissolve on May 1.