The City Planning Commission unanimously approved Hudson Companies’ planned redevelopment of the Brooklyn Public Library in Brooklyn Heights on Monday.
David Kramer’s Hudson plans to knock down the existing building at 280 Cadman Plaza, and replace it with a new library and a 36-story condominium tower. The Brooklyn-centric development firm is set to pay $52 million for the public land, and will also build a temporary library during construction and two off-site affordable housing buildings at 907 Atlantic Avenue and 1043 Fulton Street.
In a statement, a Brooklyn Public Library spokesperson welcomed the Planning Commission’s decision. “As the Commission recognized, this project is a win-win for Brooklyn,” the spokesperson wrote. “In addition to bringing a new state-of-the art library to Brooklyn Heights at no cost to BPL, it will also help to alleviate the system’s capital crisis by generating more than $40 million that will be invested in libraries throughout the borough.”
The development recently caught the ire of labor group Build Up NYC, which argues the developer should be required to hire union contractors under its deal with the city. “It’s like a public subsidy with no public responsibility, no obligation to the public,” said Gary LaBarbera, president of Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York. — Konrad Putzier