By Bill Parry
Dozens of children helped cut the ribbon celebrating the $430,000 expansion of the Court Square Library last Friday in Long Island City. The Queens Library branch, located on the first floor of the Citigroup Building at 25-01 Jackson Ave., took over an additional 1,700 square feet of space donated by Citi.
“The expanded space at Queens Library at Court Square will help us better serve the growing community with more programs and children’s services,” Queens Library Interim President and CEO Bridget Quinn-Carey said. “We appreciate Citi’s support and investment by allocating more space for the public library.”
The additional space will be used for an expanded children’s area, program and community space. The cost of the upgrade was funded by New York State.
“For many young children and families in Long Island City, the Court Square Library is a magical place,” City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) said. “The local branch is a wonderful place where children go to learn to dream big. As the neighborhood continues to grow and thrive, this much-needed expansion along with the state-of-the-art upgrades and improvements will help solidify the branch’s role in the neighborhood as an important community hub for generations of families in Long Island City.”
When the branch opened nearly 25 years ago, Court Square was not a residential neighborhood. Now it’s one of the fastest growing communities in the borough with more than 22,500 new units in the pipeline, mostly in large-scale towers currently under construction.
“As Long Island City continues to grow and expand it is important that we continue to advocate for additional services,” state Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan
(D-Ridgewood) said. “Expanding the Court Square Library is a step in the right direction that will provide for much needed space and additional resources to help our community succeed.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
