Van Cortlandt Library receives boost from EDC
BY JASON COHEN
After 50 years at an old dilapidated
building, the New
York Public Library (NYPL)
Van Cortlandt branch received
a facelift in 2019.
Formerly located at 3874
Sedgwick Avenue, it moved
to 3882 Cannon Place and
the two-story, nearly 6,000
square-foot facility is twice
the size of the old one.
Since the renovations it
has become a staple in the
community and this year
won an award in design from
AIA New York.
As April 4-10 was National
Library Week, NYC Economic
Development Corporation
Acting President Rachel
Loeb refl ected on the work it
is doing with the NYPL.
“We’re proud to work
with New York Public Library
on a variety of projects,”
Loeb said. “Libraries
are more than a place to
check out books, they are the
much-loved cultural heart of
many neighborhoods offering
a wide range of learning
opportunities and curated
entertainment. We are sure
this new branch will support
the Van Cortlandt community
in the same impactful
way.”
The project to for the new
VCP branch included conversations
with the public,
as part of the Building For
You initiative, which allowed
the staff to hear what
the neighborhood wanted to
see at their library and renovate
the new space.
The branch is open for
Grab-and-Go service, which
was implemented due to
COVID-19. The service model
allows patrons to place holds
and checkout physical books
on-site.
The library is also planning
full renovations at two
Carnegie branches in the
Bronx: Melrose Library and
Hunt’s Point Library.
Melrose Library’s renovation
will include a new,
additional top fl oor (which
was lost in fi re decades ago),
a handicap accessible entry,
new elevator, as well as
updated spaces for adults,
teens and children, multipurpose
rooms for programs
and classes and upgraded
technology and infrastructure.
The Hunts Point upgrades
The ribbon cutting for the New York Public Library (NYPL) Van Cortlandt
Photos courtesy of New York Public Library (NYPL)
include a facade rehabilitation
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, A 14 PR. 16-22, 2021 BTR
and a new handicap
accessible ramp at the entrance.
The project will also
update dedicated areas for
children, teens and adults as
well as multi-purpose rooms,
along with technology and
infrastructure upgrades.
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