The historic Packard Library building at 301 4th St. in Marysville has stood for more than a century. Now largely vacant, the site is at the center of a legal effort by the city to reclaim ownership.

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - The City of Marysville has filed a legal complaint in Yuba County Superior Court to retake possession of the historic Packard Library building, located at 301 4th St. in Marysville.

Funds from a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) enabled the city to purchase the Packard in the late 1990s. In 2000, the city transferred ownership to the Sutter-Yuba Friday Night Live Partnership (also referred to as Friday Night Live or FNL) for just $1.

The recorded grant deed states that “it is the intent of the City and FNL that the property should remain available for public use as long as practical.” Further stipulations, outlined in compliance with the city’s Community Development Block Grant agreement, required that Sutter-Yuba Friday Night Live “must continue to use the property to provide services to the children of low-income families” for at least five years following that agreement’s expiration.

Antique furnishings and vintage typewriters remain arranged in the building’s curved lobby, a reminder of its past use as both a community space and administrative center for Sutter-Yuba Friday Night Live.

According to the grant deed, if the Sutter-Yuba Friday Night Live Partnership were to dissolve as a legal entity, stop providing youth services to low-income families within that time frame or discontinue offering community programs approved by the City Council, then the nonprofit would be required to sell the property for $1 to another qualifying organization. That new organization would need to continue serving a similar public or youth-oriented purpose, and any such transfer would require prior approval from the Marysville City Council.

The city’s lawsuit, filed on Jan. 21, invokes a “power of termination” clause included in the grant deed. That clause allows the city to reclaim the property if its original use, providing community or youth services, is discontinued. A case management conference originally scheduled for May 27 was marked “Not at Issue” and the matter was continued. A new case management conference is now set at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 25 before Judge Stephen W. Berrier.

The library’s former theater or assembly room features a modest stage and elevated ceiling. The space was most recently used for community presentations and has a listed capacity of 164 for theater-style seating and 77 for dining.

History of the Packard

Located at Fourth and C streets, the Packard Library served as Marysville’s public library from its construction in 1906 until 1977. It was a civic gift from John Q. Packard, who donated the land and also funded its construction, reportedly at a cost of $75,000. The architect, William Curlett, was also known for designing the Charles Crocker mansion in San Francisco. Upon its unveiling, local newspapers hailed it as one of the finest library buildings in any small city in the state.

In the decades following the library’s closure, the structure passed through various stages of proposed reuse and eventual ownership by Sutter-Yuba Friday Night Live, a nonprofit organization focused on youth-led, substance-free programming supported by anti-drug and tobacco prevention grants.

Janet Siller founded the Sutter-Yuba Friday Night Live chapter around 1989 and led the effort to secure the historic Packard Library as its home. Under her leadership, the organization became a hub for safe, youth-driven programming across Yuba and Sutter counties. Siller retired in 2007 but returned in 2010 to revive the struggling program, leading a major renovation and grand reopening of the Youth Live Center in 2012. In the years that followed, activity at the site gradually dwindled, with only sporadic events, such as haunted houses, taking place. The group’s last social media post was in 2019.

Here is one of several light-filled reading areas in the Packard Library, where natural sunlight still pours in through large original windows. Once a tranquil space for study, it now sits undisturbed.

According to the city’s complaint, the nonprofit has since ceased operations and left the building in a deteriorated condition. The lawsuit describes the property as containing broken windows, trash, graffiti and other signs of abandonment. Between June 2022 and the present, the city reportedly issued nine “notices to correct” and four formal violation and penalty orders to the property owner. The conditions, the city alleges, remain unaddressed.

In addition to seeking ownership of the property, the city is asking the court to order a cleanup, award $200,000 in related abatement costs and levy $80,000 in accrued penalties, along with $200 in additional fines per day moving forward. The city is also requesting that costs and penalties be applied as a lien against the property and potentially as individual liability for unnamed defendants.

A skylight above and glass floor below once allowed natural light to filter through multiple levels of the library, brightening both the upper and lower reading rooms.

Representatives from Sutter-Yuba Friday Night Live declined to comment publicly on the lawsuit, although they indicated a possible resolution might be in progress. In response to inquiries about the property’s future, Dan Flores, Community and Economic Development director for the City of Marysville, stated: “At this time, the City of Marysville is still in the process of obtaining ownership of the Packard Library building. While it's a bit early to confirm any specific future use, the City Council has expressed a strong desire to preserve the building's historical character and architectural value, regardless of its eventual purpose. We’ve already begun receiving multiple inquiries regarding the building's potential use, and we plan to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) in the near future to formally explore those possibilities. The city also continues to welcome and encourage input from Marysville residents as we consider the best path forward for this important community asset.”

Today, the Packard Library remains a prominent landmark in Marysville and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A recent walkthrough revealed a dusty interior filled with old Sutter-Yuba Friday Night Live program materials, antique furniture and various stored personal items. Its potential and breathtaking architectural features are still very much evident.

A room within the building shows signs of possible conversion into a residential space but is currently unfinished and used for storage of miscellaneous personal belongings.