Hudson to Develop New Brooklyn Heights Library Branch

Yesterday evening the board of the Brooklyn Public Library voted to go ahead with its plan to sell the Cadman Plaza branch to raise $40,000,000 for upkeep of other branches. Hudson Companies Inc. has been chosen as the developer of the new mixed-use building at 280 Cadman Plaza West. There will be space for a 21,000-square-foot library at its base and 132 market rate units, the library announced last night. Hudson will pay $52,000,000 to buy the site and construct 114 affordable units offsite, which will open at the same time as the building (about 2019 or 2020).

Marvel Architects will design the building. You can read more about it on the library’s website.

We reached out to Hudson for comment. “Growing up, the best thing my parents did for me was to take me to the library every week,” Hudson Director Joseph Kohl-Riggs told us. “Great libraries are as essential in 2014 as ever, and everyone should have access to great libraries in their own neighborhood. Hudson is honored and excited to be designated as the development partner for the Brooklyn Heights library. We’re looking forward to working with Brooklyn Public Library, the New York City Economic Development Corp. and the community to build the best new branch for Brooklyn Heights, while simultaneously helping to fund the library’s extensive capital needs at branches throughout Brooklyn. This will be our sixth project with Marvel Architects, and we look forward to designing and building a project that will be the pride of Brooklyn. Hudson has successfully completed public-private partnership developments for nearly 30 years, and is fully committed to the Brooklyn Public Library and its patrons.”

The project must go through the year-long public review process. The library plans to start construction in 2016 and open three and half years later.

While construction takes place, Hudson will provide 8,000 square feet of space for a temporary library at Our Lady of Lebanon Church at 113 Remsen Street, five blocks away. The affordable units can be located anywhere in Community Board 2, which crosses a good many neighborhoods, from Brooklyn Heights to Wallabout and the Navy Yard.

The next Community Advisory Committee meeting to gather public input on the design will take place October 7.

Rendering by Marvel Architects