Local elected officials and staff members from the Queens Public Library (QPL) joined Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott and New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Acting Commissioner Eduardo del Valle to break ground on a $17.6 million renovation and expansion project at the Baisley Park Library, located at 117-11 Sutphin Blvd. in Jamaica on Monday, Sept. 29.
The project will entail a complete renovation of the interior of the library, as well as the addition of ADA-compliant restrooms. The new layout will feature dedicated areas for children, teens and adults, with computer stations available in each area to support digital access and learning.
Both the QPL and the DDC are managing this project. Work is expected to be completed by the fall of 2028.
“Baisley Park Library has long been a cornerstone of this neighborhood, and this renovation will ensure it continues to meet the evolving needs of the community,” Walcott said. “We are deeply grateful to the offices of Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., Mayor Eric Adams, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Assemblymember Vivian Cook for securing the funds to help us develop a modern, inspiring library where people can learn, connect and grow for generations to come. We are also thrilled that this project is among the City’s first to advance under its new community hiring initiative, transforming the building while providing jobs to local residents.”
The circular courtyard of the library will be enclosed and transformed into a light-filled children’s area. Another part of the project involves upgrading the multipurpose room by providing new audiovisual technology, which would help strengthen community programming. Additionally, the entrance will be moved from Sutphin Boulevard to Foch Boulevard. This new entrance will also have a new vestibule, walkway and plantings. Some of the other planned improvements include new offices for the staff, a pantry and a dedicated custodian room.
“Baisley Park Library is an essential community resource not just for learning but also for gathering and for vital Queens Public Library programming,” del Valle said. “This capital project will expand the library’s useful space while fully renovating the existing interior and providing better accessibility in compliance with the ADA. It’s also DDC’s first capital project to proceed under the City Charter’s new community hiring goals, and we look forward to hiring local workers and apprentices with the goal of having them receive 30% of the project’s overall construction hours.”
New electrical and plumbing services will also be installed as part of the project. A new fire alarm system will be added and connected to the central monitoring system of the library. The HVAC and boiler systems will be connected to the redesigned first floor of the building through new ductwork. In an effort to help ensure the building meets the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standards for environmental stability, there will be a partial green roof and solar panels.
“Libraries are the portal to the world for our neighborhoods, and the transformation of the Baisley Park Library will ensure that families in southeast Queens have a welcoming, sustainable and inspiring place to learn, connect and grow for decades to come,” Deputy Mayor for Housing, Workforce and Economic Development Adolfo Carrión said. “This project reflects the Adams administration’s commitment to world-class design and accessibility and also to community hiring and public art, ensuring that the benefits of this investment are felt well beyond the library’s walls.”
The architecture firm LevenBetts did the design work for this reconstruction and expansion project under the DDC’s Design and Construction Excellence Program, which pre-qualifies firms for public housing projects and thus reduces the time required to procure design services. LevenBetts had previously designed the renovation for the East Flatbush Library under the program.
“Our neighborhood library branches are the cornerstones of our communities, serving New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds,” NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said. “Thanks to the Council’s nearly $5 million investment, the Baisley Park Library will be transformed and expanded into a state-of-the-art facility with new features and amenities. This is the type of transformative project our community has always deserved, and I’m excited that we’re delivering for the residents of our district. I thank Queens Public Library, the Department of Design and Construction and all our partners in government for their support of this project.”
This project marks the first capital construction project launched under the new Community Hiring requirements, which is meant to have 30% of the construction trade labor hours completed by NYCHA residents or those living in low-income communities.
“For generations, southeast Queens families have been disadvantaged and disinvested in when it comes to our public infrastructure. But today’s groundbreaking on what will be a state-of-the-art, reimagined Baisley Park Library is further proof that we have flipped that narrative on its head in recent years,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. said. “Our neighbors deserve high-quality community spaces to learn and grow, and that’s exactly what this renovated library will represent once it reopens. The Queens Borough President’s Office is proud to have allocated millions of dollars in funding toward this project, and I can’t wait to see our families take advantage of this library for years to come.”
An original work of art by Ghanaian Artist Serge Attukwei Clottey, titled “WHO KNOWS TOMORROW,” will be featured in the project as part of New York City’s “Percent for Art” program, which provides City agencies with the chance to commission, acquire or restore works of art for City-owned buildings. Clottey’s piece utilizes tapestry made from woven Kufuor gallons and copper wire.
Local community members created mockups of the installation at a Community Art Workshop on Aug. 14 at the library. The Baisley Park Library held this workshop in conjunction with the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
“Across the city, we’re committed to creating permanent, site-specific public artworks that enhance the essential role libraries play as spaces of creativity and community connection,” NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Percent for Arts Program Director Sergio Pardo-Lopez said. “We’re proud to be working with DDC and QPL to commission Serge Attukwei Clottey’s WHO KNOWS TOMORROW for the Baisley Park Library. This extraordinary project will transform the library space through a vibrant, visually arresting installation that explores our relationship to mundane materials, which are nonetheless critical to how we live and move through the world. It can be read much like the texts and materials our libraries offer, and will similarly reward repeat visits and deep consideration.”
The Baisley Park Library will remain closed during the reconstruction efforts. However, Mobile Library service will be provided from the location every Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“This $17.6 million Baisley Park Library renovation and expansion reflects the City’s commitment to making sure its investments directly benefit the local communities and job seekers,” Office of Talent and Workforce Development Executive Director Doug Lipari said. “Today’s announcement is the first City capital construction project to leverage the power of Community Hiring Goals and represents a critical milestone in the City’s overall strategy led by NYC Talent to strengthen the City’s workforce, uplift communities and drive more inclusive economic growth.”
