Living Above A Library

The idea of mixed-use public libraries with housing on top is catching on in New York City and elsewhere.

1 minute read

November 13, 2006, 12:00 PM PST

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera

"The hunt for new ways of creating moderately priced housing in places with immoderate land prices has led housing experts in New York City to an unconventional thought: Why not tear down obsolete branch libraries and replace them with libraries that not only are bigger and better, but also have apartments built on top?"

In Brooklyn, a local community development group has proposed to rebuild several libraries with 200 low- and moderate-income housing units.

"Enterprise Community Investment, a national company that finances low- and moderate-income housing, recently completed an inventory of nearly every branch library in New York City, to identify those whose age, condition and neighborhood zoning might make them candidates for redevelopment to create housing."

Other cities -- such Seattle, Portland, Oregon, and St. Paul, Minnesota -- have already successfully combined public libraries with housing.

FULL STORY: Stranger Than Fiction? Having People Live on Top of Branch Libraries

Monday, November 13, 2006 in The New York Times

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