Arverne Library to Almost Double In Size as City Starts $17.3 Million Expansion Project

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Arverne Library to Almost Double In Size As City Starts $17.3 Million Expansion Project

New annex will be elevated to increase resiliency and protect from future storms and flooding

QPL: Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska, 917-702-0016, ekern@queenslibrary.org
DDC: Ian Michaels, 646-939-6514, michaelia@ddc.nyc.gov

(Arverne, NY – December 20, 2024) Queens Public Library (QPL) President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott and Commissioner Thomas Foley of the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) today joined library staff and local elected officials to break ground on a $17.3 million project that will expand and modernize QPL’s Arverne Library at 312 Beach 54 Street in the Rockaways. The project, which is expected to be completed in spring 2027, is being managed by DDC for QPL.

An artist’s rendering of the 4,600-square-foot addition (right) to Arverne Library (left). The building will be expanded into an adjacent yard owned by Queens Public Library. [Rice+Lipka]

“The new annex underscores our commitment to creating welcoming, inspiring spaces that are resilient and environmentally sustainable,” said Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott. “At nearly twice the size of the existing branch -- which attracted 60,000 visitors this past year – the building will enable us to serve even more people as the neighborhood grows in the coming years. We are extremely grateful to Mayor Eric Adams, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers, and the NYS Education Department for securing the capital funds needed to cover the cost of the new structure, and to the NYC Department of Design and Construction for managing its construction.”

“DDC and the Adams Administration were successful this year in bringing sweeping construction reform to New York City libraries. In the future, DDC will be able to use the Construction Manager-Build method of contracting at all three of the city’s library systems including all 62 branches of QPL,” said DDC Commissioner Thomas Foley. “Building on our great design-build program and other methods of alternate project delivery, this will lead to faster projects, fewer delays and better use of taxpayer money.”

The expansion of Arverne Library will site a new one-story 4,600-square-foot addition in a vacant yard next to the existing 5,400-square-foot library. The new annex will feature a large multi-purpose meeting room, a community room, ADA-compliant bathrooms and spaces for library staff and necessary utilities. To increase its environmental sustainability, the new annex will include solar panels and several skylights that enhance the use of natural lighting.

An artist’s rendering of the interior of the Arverne Library expansion. The project includes new space plus resiliency and sustainability features. [Rice+Lipka]

Arverne Library sustained heavy water damage from Superstorm Sandy in 2012, prompting its closure and a two-year gut renovation. To increase resiliency and protection from future storms and flooding, the expansion will be elevated and will contain flood vents. The sidewalk around the library will also be regraded and new pavers will be installed.

The design was completed by the firm Rice+Lipka Architects, based in Manhattan. The world-renowned firm has designed several projects as part of DDC’s Design and Construction Excellence Program, which pre-qualifies design firms pre-qualifies firms to design public buildings projects, reducing the time required to procure design services while ensuring the highest levels of quality and professionalism in construction projects managed by the agency. Other projects designed by Rice+Lipka under the program include the renovation of the Nuyorican Poets Café, the new NYPD Bomb Squad Operations Building in the Bronx and Hamilton Fish Library on the Lower East Side.

The project also features a Percent For Art component, by the artist Justin Valdez. Valdez’s work is called “The Feeling is Mutual” and will include playful drawings and murals throughout the library inspired by his extensive experience of life and people in the Rockaways. It features illustrations turned into “distraction graphics” which will be installed on glass doors and dividers throughout the building, as well as drawings and installations that fill all of the library’s bathrooms with dozens of engaging artworks, all deeply rooted in and inspired by the Rockaways.

“The expansion of the Arverne Library represents a major milestone in our efforts to provide high-quality public services to all of New York City. With this $17.3 million investment we are enhancing access to educational resources and investing in the future of the community,” said First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. “This modernized, larger library will provide residents with more space for learning, events, and programs. Investing in our libraries is crucial to creating thriving, resilient communities where all New Yorkers can grow and succeed.”

"Few communities in New York City are growing faster and being invested in more than Arverne. But behind every strong neighborhood is a strong library, and that's exactly what we're delivering with the Arverne branch's brand new, 4,600-square-foot addition," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "I'm proud to have allocated nearly $3.4 million toward this critically important project in support of Arverne families, who will soon have an expanded, state-of-the-art library to call their own."

“The expansion of the Arverne library branch will provide even more services and access to the community,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. “Libraries are indispensable. They enrich the lives of everyone who walks through the doors providing books to read, training, career resources, movies and much more. As Borough President, I recognized the need to expand this branch and allocated funding for the project. I want to congratulate Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and everyone involved in making this a bigger and better destination for learning in the neighborhood.”

“As a proud supporter of educational and community resources, I am thrilled to see the expansion and modernization of the Arverne Library taking shape,” said State Senator James Sanders Jr. “Libraries are more than just buildings; they are gateways to knowledge, opportunity, and community growth. This project is an investment in the future of the Rockaways, ensuring our residents have access to a state-of-the-art facility that will serve generations to come."

“Assembly District 31 continues to secure critical investment as Arverne Library is next to be expanded!,” said Assembly Member Khaleel Anderson. “Our Libraries are the core of our community as they function as a cooling center, a safe space for our youth, a bridge addressing the digital divide, and a learning and technological hub. The Arvene Branch was my childhood library, and I am excited to see what it will be like after the recent successful reopening of the Far Rockaway Branch.”

“Today’s groundbreaking for the Arverne Library expansion represents a significant milestone for Southeast Queens,” said New York City Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers. “Libraries are the heart of our communities—spaces for education, connection, and growth—and this new addition will strengthen those opportunities for Arverne residents. I am proud to support this project, which reflects the City’s commitment to enhancing public spaces and meeting the evolving needs of our neighborhoods. I commend Queens Public Library, President Dennis Walcott, and all partners involved for their dedication to this important initiative.”

“We are very excited to be adding another updated library to the Peninsula arsenal for all our constituents to use, to be able to provide yet another opportunity to the community, to have a way to expand their knowledge base, or just have a place to come to relax, listen to music, leisurely read a newspaper or socialize, quietly with their peers,” said Community Board 14 District Manager Felicia Johnson. “We are excited for this new expansion and addition to the community. It has been a long time coming. Thank you to the Borough President and the QPL System.”

Arverne Library offers books, movies, music, free Wi-Fi, computer workstations, and a variety of programs for all ages. This past year, the branch attracted 60,000 visitors and circulated nearly 100,000 items. The branch will remain open during the construction period.

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.