Court Square library branch still in talks with 5Pointz
/
The Court Square Branch of the Queens Public Library is still looking at a new home in 5Pointz Emil Cohen via City Council/Flickr
By Rachel Vick
The Court Square branch of the Queens Public Library last opened its doors to the public in February of 2020, but a fresh start is on the horizon for Long Island City’s book lovers.
By December, they were in talks to set up shop in the new 5Pointz development. Now, six months later, they are working with a firm to review the space available.
The firm will provide the library with engineering and architectural services for the design and development of the potential new space.
“While no deal is finalized, it represents our desire to move as quickly as possible towards building a new library for the Court Square community,” a QPL spokesperson told the Eagle. “We look forward to sharing more information with the community as it becomes available.
The branch occupied the 3,200-square-foot ground floor space of the Citi Building since 1989, where they paid a $1 per month rent. They were forced to relocate when the building owners decided that they wanted a tenant paying market rate.
QPL President Dennis Walcott said the library system has been looking for a new site since July 2018, and community members and elected officials rallied to try and extend the library’s lease after the final announcement.
“We are fully committed to having a library in a growing neighborhood we have served for 30 years and continue to work to identify affordable and appropriate space,” Walcott said in a statement in January 2020. “At the same time, the reality is that we have a fiduciary responsibility to manage the short- and long-term implications of securing a new home in an area with skyrocketing rents.”
At a Community Board 2 meeting earlier this month, concerned board members pushed for an update on the much-desired public service, asking an attending representative for Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer — who has advocated for the future of the branch — if any word had come down from the QPL.
While there wasn’t much new information to share, the desire for the library to return remains strong.
“There was really a demand and strong advocacy from parents in that community to keep that library there,” said Lisa Deller, the chair of Community Board 2. “The idea was that there is space in the [5Pointz] building, it would be a great location and central to many people in the Court Square community. There are a lot of families that are really counting on it and hope that it transpires.”
“We hope it comes to fruition,” she added.
