City breaks ground on new jade-colored public library in Rego Park
All images courtesy of Weiss/Manfredi, unless noted otherwise
Construction of a new $39 million Rego Park public library, one of the busiest Queens Public Library branches, is now underway. On Tuesday, city officials broke ground on the new library at 91-41 63rd Drive, which will replace the existing one-story, 7,500-square-foot branch with a three-story, 18,000-square-foot facility featuring expanded programming space. Designed by Weiss/Manfredi and managed by the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) on behalf of QPL, the project is slated for completion by the end of 2028.
“Today marks the culmination of many years of hard work, collaboration and determination to build a new library for this community,” QPL President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott said.
“Rego Park has grown and changed significantly since the current branch opened 50 years ago, and we are thrilled to begin construction on a spectacular new library with double the space, modern amenities and a commanding street presence.”
The Rego Park library, originally known as the Queensborough Public Library, was built in 1951 during a period of rapid neighborhood growth in the 1940s. Before its construction, residents had to venture to Forest Hills or Elmhurst to access a library. After community pressure, the city opened the 63rd Drive branch—the first in the system to feature fluorescent lighting, according to the Queens Chronicle.
After a fire destroyed a neighboring bar called The Tavern in 1959, the library expanded and took over the space. Another fire in 1973 devastated the entire block, leading the city to purchase a former Shell Gas Station across the street and build a new library there, where it still remains.
Today, the branch is one of the system’s busiest, ranking near the top in checkouts, visits, and computer use. According to Weiss/Manfredi, it serves more than 200,000 patrons and offers a growing multilingual collection of books and other materials.
The new library will feature three full floors of programming space, with the primary multi-purpose room and dedicated teen reading area located on the lower level. The ground floor will serve as the primary hub for adult reading and resources, while the second floor will feature a bright, welcoming children’s area with its own small multi-purpose room for children’s programming.
Visually, the new branch will stand out on its corner lot with a jade-colored brick facade and large windows that will bathe each level and the double-height reading spaces in natural light. A grand, open staircase will connect all three floors, offering seamless transitions throughout the facility.
The branch is being designed with sustainability in mind, featuring a low-maintenance green roof, high-efficiency lighting and mechanical systems, on-site stormwater retention, and a well-insulated building envelope. Once complete, the library is expected to achieve LEED Silver certification for environmental performance.
In addition, the facility will also feature a wall installation through the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs’ “Percent for Art” program. Artist Katrin Sigurdadottir’s “The Fore” will span roughly 1,500 square feet across three interior walls, showcasing images created with a “modular brick system.”
Inspired by halftone printing and digital dot-matrix structures, specially contoured bricks alternate with standard bricks to form patterns that reveal large-scale images across the walls, turning the library into a dynamic, visually engaging canvas. The images will feature native Queens plants, which Sigurdadottir has previously foraged for and used to create paper similar to that found in books.
Calls to rebuild the library have circulated for years. As reported by the Queens Chronicle, former City Council Member Karen Koslowitz—an advocate for the reconstruction since 1993—along with other board members, said they would remain skeptical until shovels finally hit the ground.
In 2021, Weiss/Manfredi unveiled the library’s new design, with construction originally slated to begin in the summer of 2024. The firm created the building under the DDC’s Design and Construction Excellence Program, which pre-qualifies firms for public projects, streamlining the procurement of design services while maintaining high standards.
The project, including its wall installation, received the Public Design Commission’s Award for Public Excellence in Design in 2023.
Queens Public Library will provide a mobile library at the site on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., beginning January 8, 2026.
“The yearslong advocacy of Rego Park leaders and families seeking a new community library has paid off, as we break ground on what will surely be one of the most stunning Queens Public Library branches anywhere in the borough,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. said.
“From state-of-the-art spaces for residents of all ages to learn to the stunning new ‘Percent for Art’ installation, this will be a $39 million library worthy of the families who call Rego Park home. To our partners in government and all our neighbors who persisted in their call for a new library, thank you for making this day possible.”
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