MIDTOWN?In a city where museums celebrate condos and open Louis Vuitton stores, it should come as no surprise that libraries are trying to cash in on real estate. The Donnell Library on West 53rd Street is headed for hotel status, and the selling off of other "central" branches will continue, as speculated. Writes a tipster: "The NYPL management held a series of staff briefing in March of 2008. Not only did they announce to the staff the sale and closing of the Donnell Library Center after the article in the NYT appeared, but has announced the pending sale of the Mid-Manhattan Library and the probable sale of the NYPL's most recent experiment, SIBL within the next 10 years. No planning has gone into where and how the staffs and materials of the soon to be homeless libraries will be accommodated if at all. The public be damned." If you'd like to take a look at these very exciting library plans?including the above draft concept?do click here (warning: PDF). [CurbedWire Inbox]
COLUMBUS CIRCLE?Numerous reader reports indicate that the scaffolding at 2 Columbus Circle?getting what you might call an update after preservationists lost the battle over Edward Durrell Stone's "lollipop building"?is coming down slowly but surely. Museum of Arts & Design, here we come! [CurbedWire Inbox]
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