June 9, 2017 By Jason Cohen
The Rego Park library is going to be twice the size.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced during a town hall meeting in Rego Park last night that the city has secured funding for a new facility that will replace the existing library building.
The new building will be be 18,000 square feet and will cost taxpayers $32 million.
The current building, at 91-41 63 Dr., was built in 1975 and is 7,500 square feet. The building is considered too small for the growing community, de Blasio said Thursday. Last year, 189,000 people visited the branch.
Funding for the new building has come from a number of sources. The city council allocated $1.8 million, the borough president’s office $16.5 million and $13.7 million was allocated by the mayor.
“Libraries are at the heart of neighborhoods across the city, and I am thrilled to announce that Rego Park will have a new facility to meet its needs,” de Blasio said. “As the neighborhood continues to grow, this library will be a treasured cornerstone of the community.”
Koslowitz praised the mayor for his help in bringing the new facility for the community.
“Words cannot express how happy and grateful I am that the Rego Park Library expansion will now become a reality,” Koslowitz said. “I have been working on providing the residents of Rego Park with an enhanced library structure since the 1990’s and finally it’s happening.”
A construction time line has yet to be announced.