A Deeper Look at the Brooklyn Heights Library Kerfuffle

By on February 2, 2013 3:49 pm in Government

Brooklyn Heights resident/Noticing New York blogger Michael DD White takes an in-depth look at the Brooklyn’s library woes.  A public hearing was held earlier this week.

Noticing New York: The property being sold in Brooklyn Heights is not actually an asset of the library.  At the meeting in Brooklyn Heights this week Mr. Nachowitz said the building has been managed in such a way that it now needs $9 million dollars in capital investment, but if the building is sold that money goes to the city and it is already established that the Bloomberg administration has a policy of cutting back on library spending.  There is a theoretical promise that the library system will be allowed to have more funds if this deal is consented to by both the library system and the public but that promise is unenforceable.  Even if a pot of money X is put on deposit somewhere, money is fungible and, as with parks (see Parks Commissioner Benepe’s remarks), the city can take away with one hand what it gives with the other.

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  • gc

    What can we do to save our local library?
    Sadly, no one seems interested in saving this most important resource.

  • Lori

    Let’s face it. That building is a disaster. Unfortunately, it makes more sense to put up a taller building on that plot and have the library as part of that building. However, would that be guaranteed? Brooklyn Heights needs a branch library, but that building has too many problems and would cost too much to bring “up to snuff”.

  • Knight

    Perhaps we could appeal to the good nature of the Ratners, who own the building next door, to donate space in that building in exchange for a tax deduction.