As officials explore relocating the North Summit branch of the Summit County library into the old hospital in Coalville, County Librarian Diana Skousen said she is not a fan of the proposed location.

“With the seismic concerns and everything, that really bothers me,” Skousen said. “I don’t like that building.”

The brick building at 80 N. 50 East, which currently houses the Summit County Health Department, was built in 1938. The structure is one of few left in the area built under the Works Progress Administration.

It served as a hospital for the East Side of Summit County for years. Now some members of the Summit County Council hope to remodel the building into a 5,200-square-foot library for the North Summit area.

“I’d like to see the building remodeled if it makes sense,” Summit County Councilman Chris Robinson said.

Currently, the North Summit branch of the Summit County library is housed in a roughly 900-square-foot space at Coalville City Hall.

“Going from 900 to 5,200, it seems like that would last a long time and be a big increase to what we have,” Robinson said.

The Health Department could continue to use about 1,800 square feet of space in the building, he explained.

But VCBO Architecture, which the county hired to examine the roughly 7,000-square-foot building, suggested the structure should perhaps be demolished.

Because tile was used in the construction of the interior and exterior walls, additional support is needed to meet seismic requirements. Because they are load bearing, some interior walls cannot be removed if the floor plan is rearranged, according to VCBO.

Overall, the building is in pretty good shape, said officials at the firm.

However, the roof is unstable, according to VCBO.

Officials estimate the population of the North Summit area at 5,757 people. If remodeled, the new building may only be big enough to serve the growing community for 10 years, VCBO officials said.

“Unless you add some additional space, your program life is not very long,” Summit County auditor Matt Leavitt told members of the Summit County Council Dec. 16. “If you’re going to remodel it, remodel it and add additional space.”

County officials also consulted the Cooper Roberts Simonsen Associates architecture firm, which advised the County Council to preserve the historic building.

If restored, the structure could “perform like a new building” for nearly 50 years, architect Allen Roberts claimed.

There are big differences between what the two architecture firms claim the costs of preserving the building might be.

“What we’re trying to do is determine which set of information is accurate,” Summit County Councilman John Hanrahan said. “Every decision we make needs to be based on good information.”

According to Cooper Roberts Simonsen Associates, by using beams and posts, the interior walls could be adjusted to open up larger spaces inside the building.

Replacing mechanical equipment inside the building could cost $118,800, according to Cooper Roberts.

VCBO estimated the cost of the mechanical overhaul at $168,000.

Meanwhile, the $75,600 estimate from Cooper Roberts for replacing the electrical was also less than the $105,000 projected by VCBO.

According to Cooper Roberts, remodeling the building could cost about $646,550

“It’s clear that [Cooper Roberts,] is clearly a little biased on saving the building,” said Mike Crystal, a Summit County facilities manager.

VCBO, however, might not have looked closely enough at remodeling the structure, Robinson countered.

“We want the real answer,” Robinson said. “I don’t think VCBO showed any imagination on the renovation.”

Members of the County Council hope to examine other suggestions the firms submit for preserving or demolishing the building.

Paul DeGroot, a member of the Summit County Preservation Committee, said the building should be saved.

“You could get all the natural light you need in this building and it could be a very enjoyable space,” DeGroot said.