LONG ISLAND CITY — Construction is set to start soon on the long-awaited neighborhood library for Hunters Point, officials said Thursday.
The library, at Center Boulevard and 48th Avenue, had been delayed after construction bids for the nearly $30 million project came in well over budget last year.
The setback forced the city to tweak some of its initial plans for the building, designed by renowned architect Steven Holl, and solicit another round of bids from contractors. Queens Library launched mobile and pop-up libraries in the neighborhood last summer to serve the area in the meantime.
Crews will be starting preliminary work at the site soon, according to a Queens Library spokeswoman, and workers will officially break ground this spring, Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer said. The branch is expected to open in 2017.
"Once this library is built it will become a crown jewel in the system," Van Bramer said in a statement.
When completed, officials say the 21,500-square-foot Hunters Point Community Library will feature a reading garden, rooftop terrace, reading rooms for all age groups — including a children's area — as well as a gallery and performance space.
The building design features "cutouts," that will offer views of the Manhattan skyline and create a "glowing presence," at night, according to Dr. Feniosky Peña-Mora, Department of Design and Construction commissioner.
