MADISON, Wis. -- The future of Madison's downtown public library is uncertain following the release of a new hotel study.

The second hotel study and Madison's mayor are questioning the likelihood of a hotel being part of a big library project.

The Madison Library Board has backed a $37 million plan by the local Fiore Companies for a new downtown library.

It's part of the Fiore Companies' $88 million proposal for the entire downtown central library block.

Sketches of the plan show a bright six story glass and stone library at Henry Street and West Washington Avenue, retail space, parking and a 140-room hotel.

But a new study on four downtown hotel proposals said the Fiore hotel should be delayed -- perhaps for years -- because it would "siphon" business away from better hotel projects like the Edgewater Hotel expansion on Wisconsin Avenue.

But a top official for the Fiore Companies said that study doesn't change their hotel plan at all.

"It doesn't 'X' out ours whatsoever. It'll be a completely different market segment," said Bill Kunkler, vice president of Fiore, referring to the Edgewater Hotel expansion.

Kunkler said Fiore will not change its proposal for the library block project, insisting its "extended stay" suites will fill a niche and be in demand at what he calls "the best hotel site in the city."

But the mayor said he isn't sure about the hotel project.

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said Friday that in light of the Hunden Hotel Study, the city should evaluate the library project without a hotel.

"I think if we just assume a hotel will go forward the numbers would look great. But I think in light of the Hunden study, we've got to back off of that, and take the most conservative numbers possible and make our evaluation that way," Cieslewicz said.

And the mayor said that means either looking at a library project with condos instead of a hotel, or having the city simply renovate the existing library.

Each would cost the city the same -- roughly $24 million.

Fiore said simply renovating the library would be a "tragedy."

"It would be a huge mistake because at the end of the day it will cost the taxpayers more," Kunkler said.

According to a new city auditor's report, the Fiore library plan with the hotel is the cheapest -- $8 million cheaper in net city cost than the two other options.

And Kunkler said the extra hotel room tax and property tax revenue might even wind up covering the entire cost of the library.

But the key question now is whether the hotel plan should move forward. The mayor will answer that question formally in an announcement early next week.