Landmarked East Harlem public library reopens after $34M renovation
All photos courtesy of New York Public Library/Jonathan Blanc unless otherwise noted
After a three-year $34.4 million renovation, a landmarked New York Public Library branch in East Harlem is reopening this month. Designed by McKim, Mead & White in 1904, the building at 224 East 125th Street had fallen into disrepair and had been closed since 2021. The revamped building will celebrate its reopening on October 30 at 10 a.m.
The NYPL branch faced delays from proposed budget cuts to the city’s public libraries by Mayor Eric Adams’ administration but was completed after funding was restored.
The newly renovated library now features an elevator, a teen center, a dedicated children’s library, new bathrooms, and enhanced heating and cooling systems.
The renovations were funded in part by $100 million given to NYPL as part of the city’s 10-year capital plan. The 125th Street library project cost $34.4 million, funded by the mayor, City Council, the Manhattan Borough President, and private donors.
Constructed in 1904, the building was designed by the acclaimed architecture firm McKim, Mead & White, which notably created 12 of the NYPL’s Carnegie Branches. The firm played a vital role in setting the standard for the library system’s design guidelines, according to the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Standing three stories high and three bays wide, the library features a distinct Renaissance-Revival-style design. It was designated a city landmark in January 2009.
In June, Adams and the City Council reached a deal to restore $58 million in proposed cuts to NYC’s public libraries. With funding restored, the city libraries could resume Sunday service and continue ongoing library renovation projects.
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