Commission extends Crooked Tree lease at Carnegie building through Oct. 2028, will negotiate library lease

The commission authorized a one-year extension of the Crooked Tree Art Council’s lease at the Carnegie building and directed staff to begin negotiating a future lease with the Traverse Area District Library.

City manager Ben summarized that the city received competing RFPs from Crooked Tree and the Traverse Area District Library; Crooked Tree requested an additional one-year extension through Oct. 31, 2028 to allow time to locate a permanent, larger space. Ben recommended approving the extension and noted the library remains interested in taking occupancy beginning in November 2028. Ben told the commission the recommended extension would increase the final-year lease payment by the Detroit-area consumer price index while otherwise keeping terms the same. He told commissioners that Crooked Tree “will continue to provide the services and the valuable programming” during the extension and that Crooked Tree may terminate earlier if it secures new space.

Commissioners discussed lease terms, whether operating costs should be covered by tenants versus deferred maintenance, and exploring grant-match options for deferred-maintenance work. The motion passed; staff will return with negotiated lease terms for the library when ready.