BPL Pacific Branch Reopens After Renovations

BOERUM HILL – After closing five months ago for renovations, the Pacific Library Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) reopened its doors at 25 4th Avenue (at Pacific Street) Monday morning, August 13.

The 114-year-old building was initially scheduled to reopen in early May, however that date was pushed back to later in the summer after crews discovered that additional work needed to be done.

According to an email from the BPL last Friday announcing the branch’s reopening, some of  the completed upgrades include a refurbished auditorium with a new ceiling, floor, and air conditioning, as well as a new projector and television for meetings. Along with a new coat of paint, the Pacific Branch also received winterized windows, new lighting, and extra outlets for laptops and other electronic devices. A temporary ramp will be installed this fall while the BPL raises funds to build a permanent ramp to improve access to the building as part of a full renovation of the library.

“Today, we’re able to welcome patrons to a brighter, more contemporary Pacific Branch—with infrastructural improvements like new floors, ceilings, paint and lighting, and technological investments including a projection system for meetings and programs and additional outlets for the high-tech way that patrons enjoy the library today,” said Fritzi Bodenheimer, a BPL spokesperson. “We look forward to continuing to commit resources to this hub of the downtown Brooklyn community and Carnegie-era treasure.”

Designed by the architect Raymond F. Almirall, the Pacific Library opened to the public on October 8, 1904 and was the first Carnegie Library built in Brooklyn. All the work is being performed in preparation for a much-needed overhaul that the building will undergo in the future. Within the next five years, the BPL will rebuild or renovate a third of the branches in the system, according to Bodenheimer.

Learn more at Brooklyn Public Library/Pacific Library.