QPL Laurelton Library Branch Reopens After DDC Roof Renovation

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QPL Laurelton Library Branch Reopens After DDC Roof Renovation

Project was done approximately $160,000 under its allocated budget

DDC: Denisse Moreno, 718-391-1854, morenode@ddc.nyc.gov
QPL: Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska, 917-702-0016, ekern@queenslibrary.org

(Queens, NY – October 9, 2024) Queens Public Library President Dennis M. Walcott and NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas Foley today celebrated the re-opening of the Laurelton Library after concluding a $1.8 million project that replaced the branch’s roof. The project was done under budget, saving over $160,000.

Newly renovated roof at the Laurelton Library in Queens that now has multi-layer insulation

“We are thrilled to welcome back our customers, and we thank them for their patience as these crucial upgrades were made,” said QPL President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott. “We also are grateful to the Office of NYC Mayor Eric Adams and the Office of NYC Council Member Selvena N. Brooks-Powers for funding the project and the NYC Department of Design and Construction for managing it.”

“The Laurelton Library is an important resource and gathering space for the local community and we’re very pleased to return it to them with a much-needed new roof--and $160,000 under its allocated budget,” said NYC Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Thomas Foley. “In the future, we hope we can use a faster method of construction management for library renovation projects called CM-Build, which provides a lot more flexibility for dealing with issues that arise in the field after we start work. Once our construction reform bill which was passed by the State legislature is signed in Albany we’ll be able to complete projects like these even faster and more efficiently.”

The one-story library, located at 134-26 225th Street, has been serving the community since 1955. The branch’s existing main, lower, bulkhead, and shed roofs were replaced with Siplast-certified multi-layer roof system for insulation and water protection. The insulation thickness under the new roof now meets current NYC Building Code, and will for the next 25 years. Additionally, new drains and flashing were installed to further protect the building from water damage. For a fresher look, the library’s façade was restored with brick and marble replacements.

The Laurelton Library hours are:

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 10 AM - 6 PM
Tuesday, 1 PM - 6 PM
Thursday, 12 PM - 8 PM
Saturday, 10 AM - 5 PM

DDC and QPL Staff at the reopening of Laurelton Library on October 8, 2024. The library’s façade was also restored with new brick and marble for a cleaner look

About Queens Public Library
Queens Public Library is one of the largest and busiest public library systems in the United States, dedicated to serving the most ethnically and culturally diverse area in the country. An independent, non-profit organization founded in 1896, Queens Public Library offers free access to a collection of more than 5 million books and other materials in 50 languages, technology and digital resources. Each year, the Library hosts tens of thousands of online and in-person educational, cultural, and civic programs and welcomes millions of visitors through its doors. With a presence in nearly every neighborhood across the borough of Queens, the Library consists of 66 locations, including branch libraries, a Central Library, seven adult learning centers, a technology center located at the Queensbridge Houses, the nation’s largest public housing complex, and a community learning center at another public housing complex, the Ravenswood Houses. It also has five teen centers, two bookmobiles, and two book bicycles.

About the NYC Department of Design and Construction
The Department of Design and Construction is the City’s primary capital construction project manager. In supporting Mayor Adams’ long-term vision of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, and new or upgraded roads, sewers and water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $33 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative and environmentally-conscious design and construction strategies to City projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc.