NERIS Project – NYC EDC and NYPL 125th St. Library Reopens (2024)
The New York Public Library celebrated the reopening of its newly renovated 125th Street branch in East Harlem on Wednesday.
BY Estefania Hernandez Manhattan
PUBLISHED 4:02 PM ET Oct. 30, 2024
The New York Public Library celebrated the reopening of its newly renovated 125th Street branch in East Harlem on Wednesday.
The 120-year-old landmark building had been closed since August 2021 for the “top-to-bottom” makeover, with the reopening delayed due to proposed budget cuts, the NYPL said in a release.
The branch was one of five historic libraries in “under-resourced neighborhoods” selected for modernization as part of the library’s Carnegie Renovation Program, the release said.
The building was previously plagued by leaks, and had “a dilapidated third floor unfit for public use,” according to the release.
Renovations included technology upgrades, new energy-efficient windows, new heating and cooling systems, new accessible restrooms and a new elevator, as well as a new teen center and renovated children’s floor.