Sunday, March 22, 2015

Redesigning the Brooklyn Heights Library

Cobble Hill does not have its own library but instead relies on neighboring branches in Carroll Gardens and Brooklyn Heights. While Carroll Gardens continue to have wonderful programming, the Brooklyn Heights branch will soon be closed, redesigned, and built anew (with private housing built above). 
See below for a message from that branch inviting all to participate in conversations about the library's redesign.

The design process for the new Brooklyn Heights Branch Library will launch on Monday, March 23, with a community workshop at the branch, located at 280 Cadman Plaza West. We hope you will join us at 6:30 pm to share your thoughts on the features and services that should be included in the new library. We also hope that you will take a moment to complete this survey.

Brooklyn Heights Library is no longer able to meet the needs of the community it serves. The facility is plagued by more than $9.2 million in unfunded repairs. Its HVAC system is broken, resulting in unplanned closures and unreliable service for patrons. The building is poorly designed, with much of its space unavailable for public use.

Brooklyn Public Library is working with the Hudson Companies and Marvel Architects to redevelop the Cadman Plaza West site with a mixed-use building anchored by a state-of-the-art, 21,500-square-foot library. The new branch will be one of the largest in Brooklyn, offering more public space than the existing neighborhood branch. The project will create 114 units of affordable housing in Community Board 2 and generate $52 million, $40 million of which will be invested in repairs at branches throughout the borough, including Walt Whitman, Washington Irving and Pacific.

At last Monday’s Community Advisory Committee meeting, we presented more detailsabout the project, including a draft timeline. The Brooklyn Heights project will be subject to the City’s environmental review and land use process (ULURP), which requires the review of the Community Board, Borough President, City Planning Commission and the New York City Council. Construction is expected to commence in 2016.

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