Saturday, September 27, 2014

Elmhurst library construction is 2 years behind schedule

From the Queens Chronicle:

Don’t bother digging through your wallet and dusting off your library card just yet.

The new Elmhurst branch of the Queens Library, located at 86-01 Broadway, will not open this year, as previously reported.

Instead, the building, which is still under construction, is scheduled to be completed next spring.
When ground was broken on the new 30,000-square-foot structure in 2011, an original tentative opening date of 2013 was given.

Last year, it was reported that the $27.8 million library would open in 2014.

While a sign at the construction site says the Elmhurst branch will open in November 2014, replacing the crossed-out date of 2013, Queens Library spokeswoman Jennifer Manley confirmed Wednesday the building will not be completed until next spring.

“Construction is moving along and good progress has been made,” Manley said in an email. “The exterior envelope and major infrastructure [has been] completed. The target for construction to be substantially complete is spring 2015.”

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

They should give the job to Donald Trump:
Recall that in 1986, with the City screwing up reconstruction of Wollman Ice Skating Rink and was running over budget, Trump took over the renovation, and in no time finished the job. Read about it in the following link:
http://articles.philly.com/1986-11-01/news/26094092_1_ice-rink-donald-trump-trump-time

Anonymous said...

I think NYC decided to hold up payments to the Queens Library because CEO Tom Galante wouldn't cooperate with city investigators. Now that he's out - or at least on paid leave - I would expect those payments to resume, and maybe some delayed projects would pick up some steam.

Anonymous said...

Galente HAS a problem more than he IS the problem.

He got caught up in that frat house environment created by the board - and now that the Courier is making some of them heroes (the Kings of Queens) we call admire a new low in ballsiness in our fine borough -and a somewhat clumsy effort at rehabilitation.

It might not be enough. Remember, the investigation is now out of Queens so something very real could happen.

The reason that library is not being built is, yes, funds are frozen. There are charges of substantial fraud at all levels.

Should be interesting. The board will try to stick Galante, and he, of course, knows were the bodies are.

Fasten your seat belts, it should be a bumpy ride.

ron s said...

Hmmm.... Elmhurst behind schedule, Rockaway not repaired, 400K CEO, new smoking deck and executive office, corrupt Library Board of sleazebags.... I love Queens.

Anonymous said...

In Manhattan they are trying to save the Carnegie Libraries and to a large extent are succeeding.

In Queens a few geezers trying to do the same gets two paragraphs on page 8 while a colorful front page rendering and a half page article about the new facility gets page 2.

Says a lot about Queens sophistication.

Anonymous said...

Page 8 and 2 of what publication? This article was on page 4 in the Chronicle and there was no rendering, there was a picture of the building as it is now. Are you talking about some other paper?

Anonymous said...

It's already spring 2015 and this place hasn't been completed.

Anonymous said...

And now it's summer 2016 and still not done yet.

Anonymous said...

Ribbon cutting ceremony to be held on Tuesday, December 19, 2016 @ 12pm.......