MOUNT PLEASANT - Racine Public Library officials are interested in buying land for a future branch library, said Library Director Jessica MacPhail.

She is scheduled to appear before Racine's City Plan Commission Wednesday to discuss the possibility of buying city-owned land located roughly between Green Bay and Newman roads and just north of Spring Street.

The commission meeting is scheduled to take place at 4:15 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall, 730 Washington Ave., in room 205.

The Racine Water and Wastewater Utility bought the 49 acres from the Racine Unified School District in 2004 and built a booster station, leaving most of the land undeveloped.

The City Plan Commission recently recommended the city sell 12 acres of the property to Extendicare Health Services for a $15 million nursing home and assisted living facility, said Director of City Development Brian O'Connell. That item is going before the City Council today.

If the health services company buys the 12 acres, that would leave 25 acres for additional development, which could include a new library, O'Connell said.

As long as library officials can provide the funding, it is a real possibility they could acquire the land, O'Connell said.

Other past proposals for the land include: a new YMCA, a church, a strip mall and a retirement community.

MacPhail said the proposed nursing home and assisted living facility would make a great neighbor and she is interested in whatever property is left over for the library branch.

At this point, she said, the library board is very flexible about the size of a future library branch.

Offering to buy the land is the first step to building a future library branch, MacPhail said. Now it's up to the city to name the price for the land, she said.

The library has about $3 million in endowments and trust funds, which officials could use towards purchasing land and building a new library, MacPhail said. But some of the money is restricted as to how the library can use it.

The library would likely also start a capital campaign to generate more funds, she said. But she said it's too soon to say for sure.

Building a new library branch has been the Racine Public Library Board's primary goal since 2004. In the past couple years they have looked at other locations: at the old Kmart on Ohio Street and Westgate Square where ShopKo is located, MacPhail said. But neither location worked out.

The Spring Street location is the perfect location for a new library branch, MacPhail said, and 10th District Alderman Tom Friedel agrees.

"I think it's a great idea," Friedel said.

Library officials have conducted surveys about a possible new library and they have heard many suggestions, MacPhail said. Many people have specifically named the Green Bay and Newman roads location for a future library branch.

The Racine Public Library used to have a branch on Washington Avenue, but it closed in the late 1980s, when the Racine Public Library Board voted to sell it to help finance the remodeling of the lakefront library, said MacPhail.