The Brooklyn Public Library has some bills to pay, and the institution is in desperate need of money to pay them. As such, the library announced plans to close older, rundown branchesone of which is the Brooklyn Heights branch on Cadman Plaza. The Daily News reported that the building could be sold off as soon as next year, and now the Brooklyn Daily reports that the library is seeking a developer to demolish the building and erect a new structure in its place, which would have a library on the ground floor. The current building would need $9 million in repairs, including a completely new air conditioning system, to keep it fully operational.
As the property is in an R10 zone, the new building would likely be residential. Brooklyn Daily says it could be up to 19-stories tall, but blogger Michael White points out that the lot is designated C6-4 residential, which allows for a high-density tower. Under these regulations, a building can be up to 10 times the the floor area of the 25,000-square-foot lot. There's also potential for additional development rights from landmark buildings or adding public amenities. By White's calculations, the tower could be up to 40-stories tall. He goes into a lot more detail (and includes some conspiracy theories about how this is another land-grab by Forest City Ratner) on his blog.
· Turning the Page on the Brooklyn Heights Library [Brooklyn Daily]
· What Could We Expect Forest City Ratner Would Do With Two Library Sites On Sale For The Sake Of Creating Real Estate Deals? [Noticing New York]
· Brooklyn Public Library May Close Older Carnegie Buildings [Curbed]
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