Monday: Public’s chance to offer input on new Brooklyn Heights Library

Workshop headed by Marvel Architects

March 20, 2015 By Mary Frost Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Brooklyn Public Library and Marvel Architects are holding a workshop at the Brooklyn Heights Library on Monday at 6:30 p.m. to give library users a chance to make suggestions about a new branch library. Photo by Mary Frost

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Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) and Marvel Architects are holding a workshop at the Brooklyn Heights Library on Monday at 6:30 p.m. to allow library users to make suggestions about a new library that will replace the present branch, as part of a controversial redevelopment plan.

The plan would replace the existing building at 280 Cadman Plaza West with a multi-use tower, which would include a 21,500-square-foot branch library.

The Business and Career Library, which currently shares the facility, is moving to the Central Library at Grand Army Plaza.

At a sometimes-contentious meeting on March 9, architect Jonathan Marvel said two workshops, with the second taking place on April 20, would allow the community’s voice to be heard.

After each workshop, “We’ll be collecting and analyzing the information, putting it into matrices, giving it back to the community as pie charts and percentages so you can see where the general tone is,” Marvel said.

Ideas generated will be compiled into a draft report in May, followed by a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting.

After a Request for Proposals process, BPL chose Hudson Companies to redevelop the site.

BPL says the current library building, located on valuable real estate in Brooklyn Heights, needs $9 million worth of repairs. Of the $52 million purchase price, roughly $40 million from the sale will go towards the capital needs of other Brooklyn branches, according to BPL.

BPL will provide interim service during construction in the community room of Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral, 113 Remsen Street.

Whether they can make the meeting or not, library users are urged to fill in a usage survey. (http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2039374/Brooklyn-Heights-Usage-Survey)