By Madina Toure
The Queens Library is looking to transfer ownership of the Mitchell-Linden Library in downtown Flushing from Queens Library to the city.
The library, which occupies seven condominium units on the ground floor of Sunrise Terrace, a residential condominium unit at 31-32 Union St., moved to its current site Sept. 30, 2013. Then Borough President Helen Marshall provided more than $4 million of the more than $4.5 million in funding for the acquisition of the site.
“There’s no change in usage, there’s no change in space, it’s a change in title,” Joanne King, Queens Library’s director of communications, said. “And that’s in keeping with standard practice. Almost all of the libraries are owned by the city of New York except for a couple of rental units and it’s also in keeping with the Carnegie contract.”
Andrew Carnegie, the steel magnate, was a major donor to the New York Public Library. In 1901, he donated funds totaling $240,000, which were used for the construction of seven new libraries in the most heavily populated areas of Queens.
Four of those buildings—Astoria, Poppenhusen, Richmond Hill and Woodhaven—are still in use.
In return, as part of an agreement, the city agreed to pay for the libaries’ maintenance and operations.
A spokeswoman for the city Department of Citywide Administrative Services said the agency is a co-applicant on the project while Queens Library is the lead agency.
DCAS is facilitating the purchase of the property under its charter mandate and is the agency tasked with taking care of city property.
The project consisted of a new décor, more public computers, fast RFID self-checkout and 24/7 self-check in an expandable program room, laptop work desks with power outlets and a new teen area with computers and space for future expansion. The project cost $6.2 million.
The library had been at its previous location at 29-42 Union St. since 1962. It was heavily used, lending more than 400,000 items a year and requiring a new space to accommodate its needs. The current space expanded the library from 5,900 square feet to about 7,656 square feet.
King said the city owns almost all of the library property.
“It’s been there a couple of years, that’s Mitchell Linden Library and the condo units were purchased in order to put a library into it with the intention of the city acquiring it eventually because the city is responsible for the Carnegie agreement,” King said.
Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtour
