Town hall held as locals raise concerns on plans for redeveloped New Utrecht Library with affordable housing

Following the announcement of the plan to redevelop New Utrecht Library, 1743 86th Street, and build affordable housing over the new space and on the adjacent parking lot, a community town hall was held to discuss the concerns locals have about the project Dec. 16.

The meeting was held at the Federation of Italian American Organizations Il Centro, 8711 18th Ave., and was hosted by State Sen. Steve Chan and Assemblymember William Colton.

The elected officials listened to many issues locals had on the matter.

“The vast majority of the residents present expressed concerns the new building of up to 13 stories would be too large to be supported by current infrastructure and public service capacities,” Colton said. “They were concerned current sewage capacity, school seating capacity, parking needs and other required quality of life capacities would be adversely impacted by a structure that large.”

Along with calling for the height of the building to be reduced from the proposed 13 stories, attendees also said they want green areas and public services included in the plan. Some also want space for the library to be increased from the current two floors.

The library was built in 1956. 

The redevelopment has been initiated through a competitive process called a Request for Proposals (RFP) that asks developers to respond to a set of goals and guidelines that reflect community priorities.

“Our neighbors expressed many objections regarding this project,” Chan said. “The proposal to build tall buildings with up to 400 units without any improvements of the local infrastructure and lack of parking was repeatedly rejected by most of the attendees. Community members asked about subway station capacity, bus lines, schools, parks, sewers, electricity, etc. 

“Though this project will take years until it will become a reality, it is critical that community voices be taken into account. Everyone knows we need housing, but we’re aware of the underlying deviations.”

Mayor Eric Adams and Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) President and CEO Linda Johnson made the announcement of the plan back in September.

The proposal is similar to the Sunset Park Library, 5108 Fourth Ave., which officially opened in 2023 after years of protests and meetings. The branch has more than 20,000 square feet. Floors two through eight of the new building are dedicated to 49 units of affordable housing spread across more than 50,000 square feet of residential space.

“We saw the promise of this model in Sunset Park, where New York City’s first library redevelopment to include affordable housing has proven a resounding success,” said Johnson. “Building on that achievement, we now have the opportunity to deliver a brand-new library for this community while also advancing the city’s goals of expanding affordable housing- a true win for all New Yorkers.” 

“This ambitious project will deliver affordable housing, high-quality services, and a state-of-the-art library, all in one location,” said Adams. “With our historic ‘City of Yes for Housing’ initiative, we said yes to more housing all across the city, and with ‘City of Yes for Families,’ we are saying yes to keeping families in the five boroughs, year after year, generation after generation.”