Image credit: Gregg Richards courtesy of BPL

The Brooklyn Public Library on Wednesday opened a new branch at 286 Cadman Plaza West in Brooklyn Heights–the second-largest library in the system (Central Library is the largest). The 26,000-square-foot space will include a children’s area, a teen library, a multipurpose room with a capacity of 225, public meeting rooms, and lots of spaces to enjoy a book or some quiet thoughts. Located within the base of a new luxury residential tower, the library is the result of an unusual redevelopment plan that also included $40 million in repairs throughout the library system and 100 new affordable apartments elsewhere in Brooklyn.

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Just yesterday, the Brooklyn Heights branch of the Brooklyn Public Library announced that they will sell their building to the Hudson Companies for $52 million, along with the promise of 114 affordable housing units to be built at a different location in the neighborhood. The developer, who won the bid over 14 others, will convert the city-owned building at 280 Cadman Plaza West into a 20-story luxury rental complex with a new 21,000-square-foot library on the ground floor.

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