CB2 committee approves sale of Brooklyn Heights Library, with caveats
Community Board 2’s Land Use Committee voted 8 to 4 to approve the controversial $52 million sale and development of the Brooklyn Heights Library – with caveats — Monday night at a meeting at St. Francis College.
During the discussion by committee members, many disgruntled members of the audience silently held signs which stated, “Don’t Sell Our Libraries.”
The proposal would demolish the city-owned library building and replace it with a 36-story, 139-unit luxury residential tower, with a new library occupying the ground floor and some space below the ground. Affordable housing would be placed off-site in Clinton Hill.
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) President Linda Johnson says the Brooklyn Heights branch, at 280 Cadman Plaza West, has a problematic HVAC system, needs $9 million in repairs, has non-accessible space and possessed significant property value, which could be used to benefit other branches in the borough.