Robust Community Design Process for New Library Includes Workshops, Interactive Exhibit, Patron Surveys
Locations for 114 Units of Affordable Housing Secured in Community District 2
Brooklyn, NY – At Monday evening’s meeting of the Brooklyn Heights Community Advisory Committee, Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) announced several updates to the Brooklyn Heights Library project.
Brooklyn Public Library President & CEO Linda E. Johnson announced plans for a robust community design process for the new library. Led by Marvel Architects, the design process will include an online and paper survey, interactive exhibit, and series of workshops. The first workshop will be held on Monday, March 23 at 6:30pm at the Brooklyn Heights Library (280 Cadman Plaza) and will be followed by a second workshop on April 20. The workshops will inform the programming for, and ultimately the design of, the new library.
“Brooklyn Public Library is committed to an open, community-driven design process to decide how this new library can best serve the Brooklyn Heights community for years to come. We are thrilled to partner with the highly respected Brooklyn firm Marvel Architects on this exciting project,” said Johnson.
In addition, Hudson Companies, the project’s developer, announced the locations for 114 units of affordable housing that will be part of the project. Hudson has secured binding contracts for two sites within Community District 2, at 911-917 Atlantic Avenue and 1041-1047 Fulton Street. The affordable units will be 100% privately financed and will be built without using City or State capital subsidy, without Federal tax credits and without low-interest subsidy financing.
“These new affordable units on Atlantic Avenue and Fulton Street are located in the vibrant neighborhood of Clinton Hill in Community District 2, with great access to mass transit and other amenities. We look forward to one day welcoming families into these homes,” said David Kramer, Principal of Hudson Companies.
The project will replace the aging building on Cadman Plaza West, which requires more than $9 million in repairs, with a brand new facility. The state-of-the-art, 21,500 square foot library – one of the largest in the BPL system – will be part of a mixed use building at 280 Cadman Plaza West to be developed by the Hudson Companies, Inc. and designed by Marvel Architects. The branch will be a destination library for northwest Brooklyn, offering new collections, technology, and extensive programs.
Building a new Brooklyn Heights Library will benefit library users throughout the borough. More than $40M from the $52M sale will be invested in neighborhood branches with urgent capital needs, significantly reducing the current $300 million in deferred maintenance across BPL’s 60-branch system.
More details on the project can be found at http://www.bklynlibrary.org/brooklyn-heights-project
About Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is an independent library system for the 2.5 million residents of Brooklyn. It is the fifth largest library system in the United States with 60 neighborhood libraries located throughout the borough. BPL offers free programs and services for all ages and stages of life, including a large selection of books in more than 30 languages, author talks, literacy programs and public computers. BPL’s eResources, such as eBooks and eVideos, catalog information and free homework help, are available to customers of all ages 24 hours a day at our website: www.bklynlibrary.org.
###