QPL, City Break Ground on $40 Million Project to Replace Douglaston-Little Neck Library

QPL, City Break Ground on $40 Million Project to Replace Douglaston-Little Neck Library

New Building Will Double Public Space and Include 'Percent for Art' Installation by Sculptor and Designer Misha Kahn

QPL: Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska, 917-702-0016, [email protected]
DDC: Denisse Moreno, 718-391-1854, [email protected]

Visuals Available Here

(Douglaston-Little Neck, NY - July 27, 2026) - Queens Public Library (QPL) President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott and New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Paul Ochoa today joined QPL and DDC staff, local elected officials and community members at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Douglaston-Little Neck Library at the site of the existing branch at 249-01 Northern Boulevard.

Managed by DDC on behalf of QPL, the $40.2 million project includes the demolition of the existing library and the design and construction of a new facility, which is currently expected to reopen in the summer of 2030.

"Today's groundbreaking marks a significant milestone for the Douglaston-Little Neck community," said Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott. "Thoughtfully designed to meet residents' evolving needs, the new library will double the amount of public space, with expanded indoor and outdoor areas for learning and gathering, state-of-the-art amenities, and sustainable features that reflect our commitment to environmental stewardship. Thanks to the great work of the Department of Design and Construction, this beautiful building will become a striking new addition to the neighborhood. We are deeply grateful to our current and former elected officials for the capital investment that is making this transformation possible. We look forward to welcoming the public to a new library that will inspire curiosity, bring people together, and create opportunities for generations to come."

"We are proud to deliver a brand-new, visually stunning library that will double the public space of the Douglaston/Little Neck branch," said NYC Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Paul A. Ochoa. "The award-winning design for this library, which was possible through DDC's Design and Construction Excellence Program, will include large glass windows for abundant natural light for readers. It will add gardens, green roof, solar panels and other sustainability features, which will allow for LEED Gold certification. We are thrilled to start construction for this striking, three-level library."

The existing library, which opened in 1962, will be replaced with a state-of-the-art,12,000-square-foot facility featuring two stories plus a lower level, providing significantly more space for library services, educational programming and community gatherings.

Designed by BKSK Architects through DDC's Design and Construction Excellence Program, the project received the NYC Public Design Commission's Award for Excellence in Public Design in 2024.

The new library will feature dedicated spaces for adults, teens and children across three levels. The lower level will include a dedicated teen area and two meeting rooms. The ground floor will serve as the primary hub for adult collections and staff workspaces, while the second floor will feature a spacious children's reading room and an outdoor terrace with a garden designed with plants that attract migrating hummingbirds.

The library's entrance will move from Northern Boulevard to 249th Street, creating a more welcoming experience for visitors. Located on a prominent corner lot, the building is designed to engage the streetscape with an outdoor garden featuring landscaped seating along 249th Street. Together with a children's garden integrated into the sloping green roof on the second floor, these spaces will extend library programming outdoors.

A large transom ground-floor windows facing Northern Boulevard will bring abundant natural light into the building, creating bright, inviting spaces throughout. Two staircases and an elevator will connect all three floors. The main staircase will have a glass partition that will bring in even more daylight, as well as a modern and open experience for visitors as they travel up and down the building.

The project incorporates numerous sustainable design features, reflecting the library's commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, including a green roof, rooftop solar panels, an all-electric mechanical system, high-performance building insulation, enhanced air filtration, and carefully designed daylighting to maximize natural light while minimizing glare. When completed, the building is expected to achieve LEED Gold certification for environmental sustainability.

The new library will feature an art installation commissioned by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) 'Percent for Art' program. Artist Misha Kahn's "A Bit of Everything" was inspired by his childhood visits to his local public library, where unexpected books, stories and discoveries made the library a place of imagination, learning and community. The piece will consist of a collection of unique forms-some inspired by the Douglaston-Little Neck neighborhood-suspended within a stainless-steel framework. These elements include dumpling-shaped forms referencing the area's Asian communities, boulder figures inspired by the Matinecock tribe, and train track motifs reflecting the Long Island Rail Road, a defining neighborhood landmark. The artwork reflects the way libraries bring together people, ideas and information while offering endless opportunities for discovery.

The new library will offer 24 public computers and a collection of 26,000 books, periodicals and other materials in several languages.

The general contractor is Universal Construction Resources, NC.

The project was funded through capital investments from the Office of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the Office of New York City Council Member Vickie Paladino, the Office of Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., and the Office of New York State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky.

"Libraries are among the most important investments we can make in our communities," said Congressman Tom Suozzi. "At a time of increasing division and a lack of trusted sources of information, libraries and librarians play an increasingly important role in truth-telling and community building. Congratulations to Queens Public Library and everyone who helped make this exciting project possible. The new Douglaston-Little Neck Library will serve generations of families and strengthen this wonderful community for years to come."

"The families of Douglaston and Little Neck deserve a spectacular, state-of-the-art library to call their own, and that's exactly what they will be getting with the new building we are breaking ground on today," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "This new library will be a treasured community hub for many decades to come. Our libraries are the lifeblood of our neighborhoods, so I am proud to have allocated more than $27 million to our borough's libraries during my time as Borough President, because it is critically important that every single library in our borough gets the investment it needs to best serve our families."

"This groundbreaking marks an exciting investment in our community," said State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky. "Libraries are no longer just places to take out and return a book. They have become vital hubs of community activity. The new library will nearly double the branch's public space, creating modern, welcoming areas for children, teens, and adults to learn, connect, and grow, while incorporating sustainable, energy-efficient design. I am proud to support this project and look forward to seeing this state-of-the-art facility serve as a lasting resource for generations to come. I thank Dennis Walcott and his team for their leadership."

"Our Queens Public Libraries provide a wealth of vital services and programming to residents of all ages, serving as an important community hub of learning and activity," said Assemblyman Ed Braunstein. "I'm thrilled that we are breaking ground on a brand new Douglaston-Little Neck Library and thank all of the stakeholders who made the project a reality. I look forward to cutting the ribbon and visiting the brand new building."

"I am thrilled to announce the groundbreaking of the new Queens Public Library at Douglaston-Little Neck, an investment that will serve our community for generations to come," said Councilwoman Vickie Paladino. "This beautiful new 12,000-square-foot library will nearly double the public space of the current branch, providing expanded areas for children, teens, and adults, modern meeting rooms, and a welcoming outdoor garden. Libraries are more than just places to borrow books. They are centers of learning, innovation, and connection. This exciting project will ensure that residents of all ages have access to a state-of-the-art facility that meets the needs of our growing community. I look forward to celebrating this important milestone with our neighbors and partners as we break ground on a project that will strengthen Douglaston-Little Neck for decades to come."

"I would like to congratulate the Queens Public Library and the NYC Department of Design and Construction on the groundbreaking for the new Douglaston-Little Neck Library," said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. "In my previous role, I was supportive of our libraries because of the amazing effect they have on providing an educational and safe environment for our children. As the DA, I know that public safety is about more than responding to crime; it's about investing in the institutions that bring people together. This new library branch reflects this shared commitment. I look forward to the grand opening!"

"Queens Community Board 11 has long supported the need for a physical reconstruction and update to the capabilities of the Douglaston/ Little Neck Library Branch of the Queens Public Library," said Community Board 11 District Manager Joseph Marziliano. "Today, that effort becomes a reality with the help of the NYC Council, Queens Public Library, Department of Design and Construction, Borough President Richards, State Senator Stavisky and Mayor Mamdani. We look forward from this groundbreaking to a new era in literature access, programmatic resources, and community space for everyone in Northeast Queens."

"Our libraries are important community hubs where New Yorkers can connect, learn, and participate more fully in our society," said Cultural Affairs Commissioner Diya Vij. "Misha Kahn's 'A Bit of Everything' is both playful and profound, exploring the magic of libraries in a way that reflects the wider communities this new civic space will serve."

Queens Public Library is now providing mobile library at the site on Fridays from 10 a.m. AM to 5 p.m. PM. Other nearby QPL locations include North Hills (57-04 Marathon Parkway); Bayside (214-20 Northern Boulevard); and Glen Oaks (256-04 Union Turnpike).

About Queens Public Library
Queens Public Library is one of the largest and busiest public library systems in the United States, dedicated to serving the most ethnically and culturally diverse area in the country. An independent, non-profit organization founded in 1896, Queens Public Library offers free access to a collection of more than 5 million books and other materials in 50 languages, technology, and digital resources. Each year, the Library hosts tens of thousands of online and in-person educational, cultural, and civic programs and welcomes millions of visitors through its doors. With a presence in nearly every neighborhood across the borough of Queens, the Library consists of 66 locations, including branch libraries, a Central Library, seven adult learning centers, a technology lab at the Queensbridge public housing complex, a community learning center at the Ravenswood public housing complex, and five teen centers. It also has five bookmobiles and two book bicycles.

About the NYC Department of Design and Construction
The Department of Design and Construction is the City's primary capital construction project manager, providing New York's diverse communities in all five boroughs with new or renovated public buildings such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, and new or upgraded roads, sewers and water mains. To manage this $34 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience brings efficient, innovative and environmentally conscious design and construction strategies to City projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc.