Long-Awaited Hunters Point Library To Open In September

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — The Hunters Point Library will open this September, eight years after plans were first unveiled, officials announced Thursday.

The waterfront library at 47-07 Center Blvd. will open to the public on Sept. 24, according to Queens Public Library spokesperson Elisabeth de Bourbon.

Delays have plagued the library since the beginning. Construction didn't start until 2015, four years after Steven Holl Architects revealed its design plans, because of financial concerns, according to QNS.com.

City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer devoted over $10 million to move the project along, but other roadblocks emerged along the way.

Construction stopped in 2017 when a labor strike in Spain delayed glass shipments for the library's windows, DNAinfo reported at the time.

Last-minute design changes further exacerbated the delays, according to QNS.com.

The Hunters Point Library is the first new branch to join the Queens Public Library system since 2007, when the Long Island City branch opened, according to de Bourbon. It's also the city's first new public library since the Mariners Harbor library opened on Staten Island in 2013.

The library will hold over 50,000 books and reading materials, according to Van Bramer, who represents Long Island City. The building includes a quiet room, a children's room and a rooftop with stadium seating for events.

"I've worked on this project since I was a staffer at the Queens Public Library," Van Bramer said in a statement. "And while there have been moments of great frustration with delays, I know that generations of children and families will benefit because we stayed the course, invested the money and saw this project to its completion."

We are very pleased to announce that #HuntersPoint Library will OPEN on Tuesday, September 24th! Stay tuned for more details about the celebration! pic.twitter.com/WUW3DRwB6d
— Queens Public Library (@QPLNYC) August 22, 2019