Hunters Point library rendering
Jan. 19, 2013 By Bill Parry
A Long Island City-based advocacy group that has continually fought for the construction of the Hunters Point library met last Wednesday to discuss design changes following Hurricane Sandy.
Thomas W. Galante, the President and CEO of Queens Library said, told the “Friends of Hunters Point Library’ that the new library will be constructed on a base that is a foot higher than previously planned. It was already higher than the 100-year flood line.
Gallante, speaking at Manducatis Rustica (46-35 Vernon Ave.), said that the library would be 10.5 feet above sea level. He said it would not delay the project nor add to its $28m budget.
Groundbreaking for the 21,500 square-foot, waterfront library will be this summer, with its scheduled completion in 2015. The library is being designed by celebrity architect Steven Holl and will feature large windows to maximize the sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline. It will also include a terrace.
“We’ve come far in the last decade from the idea stage, to the petitions, to this point. This will be well, well worth the wait,” Galante said.
The Friends of Hunters Point Library, which also raises funds for library programs, appointed a slate of new officers, which included Mark Christie, the president, and Gina Baldwin, the vice president.
Queens Library budget cuts were also discussed on Wednesday following the Mayor Bloomberg’s decision in November to slash $4.5 million in funds. However, Gallante said the budget cuts had been shaved down to $1.1 million, largely due to the negotiating efforts of Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer.
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