20 THE QUEENS COURIER • JANUARY 16, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
LIC community demands Queens Public Library
to fi nd a new home for Court Square Library
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, a
Queens borough president candidate, led
a rally to demand the Queens Public
Library “act with urgency” to fi nd the
Court Square Library a new home on
Jan. 8, as the library’s last month at 25-01
Jackson Ave. quickly approaches.
“Th e Queens Library knew that this
deadline was looming. Th e library should
have already been diligently fi nding a
new space for this public library, but it
doesn’t appear that they’ve done so,” Van
Bramer said. “Th is is not a question of
funding; the library received record funding
from the city of New York just this
past June and it never requested additional
funding to cover any expected
rental increase.”
QNS reported that although Court
Square Library’s lease at One Court
Square will end in March with public service
ending in February, the QPL is committed
to staying in the neighborhood
they’ve served for 30 years. Th e library
leased the space from Citigroup for $1 a
month, but Savanna purchased the building
in 2014 and is now seeking market
rent for the space.
“I believe they dragged their feet and
now we’re in a crisis where this community
is faced with the loss of library services,”
Van Bramer said. “Th at’s absolutely
outrageous and absolutely unacceptable.”
In response to the rally, QPL President
and CEO Dennis M. Walcott said that he
and his team have worked for more than a
year to fi nd a new place for Court Square
Library, aft er Savanna made it clear that
they didn’t want to work with them.
“Th e mischaracterization of our eff orts
is unfortunate,” Walcott said in the statement.
“We are fully committed to having
a library in a growing neighborhood we
have served for 30 years and continue to
work to identify aff ordable and appropriate
space. At the same time, the reality is
that we have a fi duciary responsibility to
manage the short- and long-term implications
of securing a new home in an area
with skyrocketing rents.”
Photo: Angélica Acevedo/QNS
QPL announced on Th ursday the
library will close on Feb. 15 at 5 p.m.
Mobile library service will be provided
on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
starting on Monday, Feb. 24 in front of
the Court House at Jackson Avenue and
Court Square West.
During the rally, Van Bramer was
joined by Friends of Court Square
Library, Court Square Civic Association
and about a dozen residents of the Court
Square area who spoke about the value of
the community resource in Long Island
City — the fastest-growing neighborhood
in New York City.
“If we don’t stand together today and
say that public libraries stay, full stop,
then a precedent has been set. Th e idea
that New York City does not need libraries
will slowly but surely become the
new narrative,” Friends of Court Square
Library President Meghan Cirrito said.
“In a time when hate crimes are on the
rise, New York City housing insecurity
becomes more prevalent and public education
is at a critical crossroads, we, all of
New York City, need public library service
now more than ever.”
Michael Giuppone, a member of the
Court Square Civic Association, said that
he and his family use the library on a
weekly basis. He added that the library
has an important “geo location” that
serves the neighborhood in many ways,
including hosting community events for
children.
Representatives from Assemblywoman
Cathy Nolan, Senator Michael Gianaris
and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney’s
offi ce also showed their support of the
community’s demands for a new space.
When asked about 5Pointz Towers, one
of the new locations that Community
Board 2 suggested for the Court Square
Library, and how developer Jerry Wolkoff
is considering the idea but said it would
be “six-tenths of a mile” from the new
Hunters Point Library, Van Bramer said
that “wasn’t a good enough excuse.”
CB 2 member Sheila Lewandowski said
she couldn’t “help but think the time for
planning was 10 years ago,” and that a
failure to do so on behalf of the QPL is
“irresponsible.”
Lewandowski, who was one of the people
who proposed 5Pointz for the new
Court Square Library, said this is also a
zoning issue.
“When buildings come in … and they
commit to a public amenity, that public
amenity really should be permanent,
because they’re getting a permanent
increase to their space,” Lewandowski
said. “Why should they get a permanent
increase to their profi t when they’re not
committing to a permanent public amenity?
Had that policy been in place, we
wouldn’t even be standing here.”
Court Square Library serves 100,000
people every year, and provides residents
access to 10 workstations, free internet,
Microsoft Offi ce soft ware and free printing.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer led a rally outside of the Queens Public Library branch at Court Square.
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