BP to fund library expansion

Queens Borough President Helen Marshall announced to a packed meeting last Thursday of the Kew Gardens Hills Civic Association (KGHCA) that she will provide funds for the design of a major expansion of the Kew Gardens Hills branch of the Queens Borough Public Library (QBPL).
Included in her capital budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, will be $500,000 for the design of an expanded library, whose present facility is more than 35 years old and seriously out-of date.
Councilman James Gennaro, who represents Kew Gardens Hills and was on hand on Thursday, immediately pledged his support for the library project as did Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn, also of Kew Gardens Hills, just back from the Albany budget battles.
KGHCA Chairman Harold Baron reminded civic members that the library expansion will come despite Community Board 8’s withdrawal of support two years ago.
Community Board 8, Baron said, rescinded its support for the library expansion as a priority when QBPL made clear its preference for other projects and postponed any consideration for the Kew Gardens Hills branch until 2025. Community Board 8 then turned its attention to projects in other neighborhoods.
When Baron and KGHCA President Patricia Dolan made the community’s case for an enlarged library to Marshall, she conducted an in depth review of the Kew Gardens Hills library’s needs and decided to throw her support behind expanding the library.
KGHCA President Patricia Dolan said she expects construction to begin in about a year.
The library holds large Hebrew and Russian collections, which are used by residents from around the borough.
Library patrons also enjoy new and old books, large collections of magazines and periodicals.
Performances by local artists are frequent.