The Pikes Peak Library District might purchase the building that holds the Ute Pass Library to finalize its use in Cascade.

The library district has been renting out the building for its most remote branch since 1975. The building is owned by the Cascade Fire Protection District, which took over the former Cascade Elementary School to keep the building available for community gatherings.

A proposal presented to the library board of trustees at its Jan. 15 meeting involved splitting the plot of land in half to separate the library from the neighboring fire station headquarters. The library district requested an appraisal, which estimated the value of the building at around $490,000.

Cascade Fire District board president Mike Whittemore said the library has not held any fire district equipment since 2005, when Pikes Peak Library District spent $164,000 to renovate the library and expand throughout the building.

“We want the library to stay here, obviously, and we feel that’s an investment in the community. Hopefully they can do the same with their other assets,” Whittemore said.

The library district’s facilities master plan prioritizes moving branch libraries out of rented buildings and into district-owned buildings. This shift away from renting was cited as one of the reasons the board opted to close down the Rockrimmon Library branch last year, which has one of the most expensive annual leases.

“Doing so gives the District (sic) greater long-term financial benefits as well as more control over building and ground maintenance at our facilities,” library district spokesperson Denise Abbott said.

The facilities plan had suggested converting the Ute Pass branch into an “unstaffed controlled access” model: Doors would be unlocked by patrons with their library card or a PIN, allowing them to enter and check out items on their own, which would allow the library to move more full-time staff members to other branches while keeping the library running.

Whittemore said that when a second estimate is received for the fair market value of the library building this spring, the two boards will begin negotiations on a purchase price.

The money Cascade Fire receives from the sale would go into providing resources for the small volunteer fire department. Whittemore said the payment could go further than the current rent payments to hire employees or improve firefighting equipment.

“We can make much better use of that revenue to benefit our local fire department,” Whittemore said.

Ute Pass is one of the only locations in the district with almost no deferred maintenance, according to the facilities report. It’s also one of the quietest libraries in Pikes Peak Library District, with 643 registered card holders in 2024.