The former Galesburg Public Library at 40 E. Simmons St. will be put up for sale after sitting vacant for nearly 17 months.
The Library Board will vote on listing the 36,000-square-foot property at its Thursday meeting, treasurer Martin Reichel told WGIL. The building has been empty since the library relocated to a new $22 million facility at 264 W. Main St. in April 2024. If approved, the property will hit the market immediately. He said the board will consult with Realtors to determine an asking price.
No firm buyer interest has surfaced, but Reichel sees the downtown location—across from Galesburg City Hall and the Knox County Courthouse—as ideal for office space, retail, or other commercial uses. The board plans minor landscaping and interior cleanup to ensure the building is market-ready.
The sale follows city efforts to resolve a logistical issue. In July, the City Council approved selling a 610-square-foot strip of City Public Parking Lot L at 140 S. Cherry St. to the library, addressing a 1983 encroachment from a library addition. On Monday, the council will consider rezoning this strip from Institutional to B3, Central Business District, aligning it with the library property’s December 2024 rezoning. The B3 zoning supports retail, residential, office, cultural, and entertainment uses to strengthen Galesburg’s downtown core.
