Library with Apartments in Sunset Park

Developers plan to tear down another public library to build a larger library, with new apartments on the floors above. The New York City Council recently approved the development in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood.

The 49 apartments will be permanently affordable to people earning 30% to 80% of the area median income, with nine reserved for survivors of domestic violence. The Fifth Avenue Committee, a nonprofit affordable housing developer, partnered with the Brooklyn Public Library for the redevelopment.

“We will soon begin construction of a library that will offer the robust and diverse programming, large multilingual collection and comfortable, inspiring environment,” said Brooklyn Public Library President and CEO Linda E. Johnson.

Sunset Park has a 12,200-square-foot library branch at 5108 4th Ave., built in the 1970s, though the public can only access 7,465 square feet. The new 20,755-square-foot library will have a better layout, with 18,200 square feet accessible to the public, Johnson said.

A similar plan in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood struggles with opposition — that plan includes more than 100 luxury condominiums.

For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Bendix Anderson

Subscribe to Connect Daily New York