New Roosevelt Island NY Public Library Branch Delayed Again - Supposed To Open In 2017 But Construction Won't Start Until September 2018 With Opening Planned For Early 2020 - No Reason Given For Delay

Why does everything on Roosevelt Island take so long to get done?

Image Of Future Roosevelt Island NY Public Library On 1st Floor Of 504 Main Street

On July 3, 2013, the New York Public Library announced:

... On July 1 the Library signed a lease for a property on the ground floor at 504 Main Street, which will be the site of a new Roosevelt Island branch. The new library will be more than double the size of the current library – which is only a short distance away at 524 Main Street – and is expected to be completed in 2017....

As reported at the time:

... The New York Public Library has already initiated the Roosevelt Island Library project with the New York City Department of Design & Construction (DDC), which begin working on architect selection, which, along with the contract development and registration process, will take approximately five months or so. Current projected schedule is to start design 12/2013 or 1/2014, start construction some time in 2015, and open the new branch in 2017, and the current budget is approximately $4.5 million....

In January 2016, the NYPL told the Roosevelt Island community:

... Construction of the new building begins in Fall 2016, with an expected completion date of late 2017-early 2018....

Rendering of New Roosevelt Island Public Library Entrance at 504 Main Street NYPL January 14 Presentation

It looks like the new Roosevelt Island NY Public Library branch will not open before 2020.

In response to an inquiry from Roosevelt Island resident Matt Katz, NY Public Library Manager Carlos Chavez reports:

I am writing in response to your concern about the opening of the new Roosevelt Island Library at 504 Main Street. Thank you for your dedicated involvement with the planning of our new branch.

Construction is set to start September 2018 and conclude October 2019. The new Branch is opening early 2020. We appreciate your patience and support during this endeavor. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance in the future and I look forward to meeting you soon.

Yesterday, I asked Mr. Chavez:

Do you know why the Roosevelt Island new NY Public Library branch construction schedule is delayed?

In 2013, the Library announced plans for the new space and said it would open in 2017.

Mr. Chavez replied:

We, the New York Public Library, are also asking the DDC why the project has been delayed. We have yet to receive an answer.

What has been communicated to us is that the DDC is working with our local elected officials to hold a public community meeting to address the delay, as well as the construction and opening dates I communicated to Matthew.

The DDC is the NYC Department of Design and Construction.

I asked Hudson Related's David Kramer, the Main Street Master Retail Leaseholder for the premises: 

Do you know what the reason for all of the delays are?

Are they paying rent?

Mr. Kramer replied:

We asked the Library to proceed at an appropriate pace to make Nisi look good.

Below is NYPL January 2016 presentation on the new Roosevelt Island branch library

Roosevelt Island Library - FINAL Presentation 1/2016

including video of the community meeting.

Also, NYPL 2015 presentation to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp.