Pics: Greenpoint Library Gets $15M Upgrade And New Environmental Center

GREENPOINT, BROOKLYN — Construction is about to begin on a new Greenpoint Public Library building with an environmental focus, Brooklyn Public Library officials announced Wednesday.

The new Greenpoint library going up at 107 Norman Ave. near Leonard Street will be twice the size of the current branch to make room for an Environmental Education Center, officials said.

“We envision the center as Brooklyn’s new home for environmental stewardship and activism,” said Brooklyn Public Library President and CEO Linda E. Johnson, “with resources for the people and organizations working to preserve Greenpoint’s past and contribute to its future.”

The new building — funded by a $5 million grant from the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund and more than $10 million from the Brooklyn Public Library — will feature a public plaza, green roof spaces with native plants, an energy-efficient design, community event spaces, and free resources for local environmentalists, library officials said.

Architecture firm Marble Fairbanks worked with the Brooklyn Public Library and Greenpoint community representatives to design the building, officials said.

The former Greenpoint branch closed for business on June 30, but local readers can check out the Leonard Library at 81 Devoe St., the Williamsburgh Library at 240 Division Ave. and the Bushwick Library at 340 Bushwick Ave.

The Bookmobile will also park outside the Greenpoint Library site on Tuesdays and Thursdays during construction, starting on Thursday, officials said.

Photos courtesy of Marble Fairbanks