Want to live in a library? Tiverton’s Essex Library for sale; renovations required

Number 238 Highland Road offers fine westerly views out over the Sakonnet River toward the Mount Hope Bridge, a stout slate roof and fieldstone exterior, and generous interior space (though no bedrooms just yet).

Tiverton’s Essex Library is up for sale and will soon be listed with Lila Delman Real Estate International with a $400,000 price tag.

The Tiverton Town Council recently awarded the job of marketing the old library to the Lila Delman firm in a competitive process.

Town Administrator Matthew Worcik recommended the company, pointing to its reputation for handling high end properties and its ability to reach customers with the funds not only to purchase the property but to do a first-rate job of transforming the library to a new use. Lila Delman would take a 6 percent commission.

But town council member John Edwards V favored the other bidder, Keller Williams Real Estate which said it would take a 5 percent commission.

He said he supports Keller Williams in part because the agent is a resident of Tiverton. He also questioned whether Lila Delman, known for selling million dollar-plus homes, would be motivated to sell a library whose value was recently pegged at $285,000 by real estate appraiser Peter Scotti.

Mr. Scotti said that his appraisal reflected the fact that a buyer would have to spend a considerable sum to convert the structure to use as a residence.

The town tax assessor has valued the property at $448,000.

Located in an R-40 residential zone, the library could be converted to a house and could also be granted permission for “cottage industry” type business use.

The library has two floors and 2,800 square feet of interior space.

It was built in 1938 on the site of the Essex family home. Summer resident and school teacher Lydia Baker Essex bequeathed money to enable construction of the library in memory of her mother.

Its days of library use effectively ended in 2015 with the construction of the new Tiverton Library at Bliss Four Corners. Last May, voters approved a financial town referendum question offered by Donna Cook that called for the town to sell Essex Library due to the cost of maintaining and heating it.

Three weeks ago, the council voted 4-3 to have the Lila Delman firm handle the sale: Council members Joan Chabot, Denise deMedeiros, Tricia Hilton and Christine Ryan voted in favor. Mr. Edwards, Joseph Perry and Randy Lebeau voted no.