BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Demolition of the Brooklyn Heights Library is set to begin next month to make way for a 36-story high rise after an application for permits from the Department of Buildings was filed Friday.
Interior demolition will begin next month and last four to six weeks. Then crews will begin demolishing the exterior in January, with that work expected to continue four to eight weeks, James Yolles, a spokesman for the developer, said Tuesday via email.
The Brooklyn Public Library branch at 280 Cadman Plaza West was sold to Hudson Companies last year in a controversial deal that was ultimately approved by the City Council after tense negotiations. The sale was heavily criticized by local residents.
The $52 million plan involves replacing the current building with a 36-story luxury condo tower that will include space for a 26,620 square-foot library. The building will be designed by Marvel Architects.
The new branch will be smaller than the current library, which is made up of about 32,431 square feet, of which only 27,222 is publicly accessible.
Through the deal, Hudson also promised 114 off-site affordable housing units, 9,000 square feet of city-run STEM education labs in the new building and a new 5,000 square foot library in DUMBO/Vinegar Hill.
This summer, the Brooklyn Heights Library opened its temporary location for the next three-and-a-half years at Our Lady of Lebanon Church, at 109 Remsen St.
