FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM AUGUST 9, 2018 • THE QUEENS COURIER 11
Pols break ground on Steinway Library rebuild in Astoria
Photo by Emil Cohen/New York City Council
City offi cials dig into a pile of dirt during a groundbreaking ceremony at the Steinway
library in Astoria.
BY KATHERINE NERI
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Th e $3.9 million renovation of the
Steinway Library in Astoria was ceremonially
started on Monday, Aug. 6, with
a groundbreaking for the project that’s
expected to be completed next summer.
Th e 12,500-square-foot library building,
located at 21-43 31st St., is comprised of a
cellar and two above-ground fl oors. It was
built in 1955 and sits upon a 7,600-squarefoot
lot that includes a landscaped rear garden.
NYC Department of Design and
Construction (DDC), the city’s primary
capital construction project manager,
is overseeing the project for the Queens
Borough Public Library.
In the renovations, a new external elevator
— made from translucent glass panels
— will be constructed in the building’s
rear courtyard and will serve all three levels,
from the cellar to the second fl oor. A new
ADA-accessible ramp will be added at the
library’s main entrance on 31st Street, along
with a new book sorting area entrance.
Th e building’s second fl oor and cellar will
also be completely revamped — with offi ces
created in the cellar for staff members.
Additionally, existing external issues will
be fi xed, like the installation of a new roof,
upgraded masonry and fi xes to the water
tightness of the building to stop any leaks
to the inside.
To increase effi ciency, the roof will receive
new insulation and energy effi cient insulated
glazing will be used at the new entrance.
Th e renovations will make the library
ADA-compliant, technologically advanced
and energy effi cient.
Queens Library President and CEO
Dennis Walcott, DDC Commissioner
Lorraine Grillo, Queens Borough President
Melinda Katz, Councilman Costa
Constantinides, state Senator Jose Peralta
and Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas all
came together for the groundbreaking.
“With these renovations, Queens Library’s
Steinway branch will be more technologically
effi cient, eco-friendly and accessible to
everyone,” Walcott said.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, along with Simotas,
Katz and Constantinides, are funding the
project.
“A strong public library system indicates
that a community values learning and future
opportunities for its young people,” Grillo
said. “Th is project will ensure that Steinway
Library remains an enduring resource for
Astoria, one that’s accessible to everyone
as a center of culture and education. Th e
Queens Library under President Dennis
Walcott is investing heavily in its future and
DDC is proud to be part of that eff ort.”
State Senator Michael Gianaris said, “Our
libraries serve as a vital lifeline for so many
Queens residents, especially for our immigrant
neighbors. I am pleased to join so
many leaders in announcing these needed
improvements.”
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