QPL, City Kick Off $39 Million Project to Replace Rego Park Library

New Building More Than Doubles the Size of the Current Branch

Will Feature ‘Percent for Art’ Installation by Katrin Sigurdardottir

QPL: Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska, 917-702-0016, ekern@queenslibrary.org
DDC: Ian Michaels, 646-939-6514, michaelia@ddc.nyc.gov

(Rego Park, NY – December 9, 2025) — Queens Public Library (QPL) President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott and New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Acting Commissioner Eduardo del Valle today joined QPL staff and local elected officials at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Rego Park Library at the site of the current branch at 91-41 63rd Drive. Managed by DDC on behalf of QPL, the $39 million project includes design, demolition and construction, with completion expected by the end of 2028.  

“Today marks the culmination of many years of hard work, collaboration and determination to build a new library for this community. Rego Park has grown and changed significantly since the current branch opened 50 years ago, and we are thrilled to begin construction on a spectacular new library with double the space, modern amenities and a commanding street presence,” said Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott. “I want to congratulate the Department of Design and Construction for its outstanding design of the building, and extend my deep gratitude to our current and former elected leaders for their fierce advocacy of the project over the years and for their unwavering commitment to providing a library the Rego Park community deserves."

“The new Rego Park Library has a remarkable design that will make it a standout in the community, and it features environmental sustainability features to reduce environmental impacts and the burden on local water, sewer, and electrical systems. I think you will agree that it’s been worth waiting for,” said DDC Acting Commissioner Eduardo del Valle. “We have a growing portfolio of projects for Queens Public Library, and those projects contribute to learning and community cohesion for everyone in Queens.”

The Rego Park branch has consistently been one of QPL’s busiest branches, ranking among the top in checkouts, visits, and computer use.

The current 7,500-square-foot, one-story facility will be demolished and replaced with an 18,000-square-foot, three-story library, expanding space for programs, learning, and community engagement.

The new library will feature three full floors of programming space. The lower level will include the main multi-purpose room along with a dedicated teen reading area. The ground floor will serve as the primary hub for adult reading and resources, while the second floor will house a bright and welcoming children’s area and a smaller multi-purpose room dedicated to children’s programming.

Architecturally, the new library will have a distinctive presence on its corner lot, defined by a jade-colored brick façade and tall windows that will help bring natural light to every level and to its double-height reading room spaces. A grand, open staircase and elevator will link all three floors, creating a sense of spaciousness and connection throughout the building.

The roof will feature a low-maintenance green roof, reflecting the library’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. Other sustainability features include high-efficiency lighting and mechanical systems, on-site stormwater retention, and a highly insulated building envelope. When completed, the new library is expected to meet LEED Silver certification for environmental sustainability.  

The new Rego Park Library will feature a wall installation as part of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA)  ‘Percent for Art’ program. Artist Katrin Sigurdardottir’s The Fore will be a continuous mural covering approximately 1,500 square feet across three interior walls, featuring images created through an innovative modular brick system. Inspired by halftone printing and digital dot-matrix structures, specially contoured bricks alternate with standard bricks to form patterns that come together to reveal striking, large-scale images across the walls and transform the building itself into a dynamic, visually engaging canvas. The images are of plants that are native to Queens and which the artist has previously foraged and used to make paper, similar to the paper that makes up books in a library.

The architecture firm WEISS/MANFREDI designed the building under DDC’s Design and Construction Excellence Program, which pre-qualifies design firms for public buildings projects, reducing the time required to procure design services while ensuring the highest levels of quality and professionalism in construction projects managed by the agency. The design and its ‘Percent for Art’ installation received an Award for Public Excellence in Design from the Public Design Commission in 2023. The general contractor is Stalco Construction Inc. of Hauppauge, NY.

“The new library in Rego Park has been a long time coming and I’m thrilled that its reconstruction is finally moving forward,” said U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens). “It is an honor to join members of the community to help break ground on this crucial and exciting project. As a local library user and the mom of two children, I know firsthand the essential role that libraries play in our borough. All communities deserve a modern facility with updated resources, especially heavily used branches such as the Rego Park location. I hope the new building is built as quickly as possible and I look forward to its completion so that constituents in Rego Park can take advantage of all that it will have to offer for many years to come.”

“The Rego Park Library is one of the busiest branches in Queens, and this transformational project will give the community the space, technology, and design it deserves,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrión. “With more than double the size, stunning architecture, and spaces designed for every generation, this new library reflects our commitment to investing in inclusive, accessible, and sustainable public infrastructure that strengthens neighborhoods across the five boroughs.”

"The yearslong advocacy of Rego Park leaders and families seeking a new community library has paid off, as we break ground on what will surely be one of the most stunning Queens Public Library branches anywhere in the borough," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "From state-of-the-art spaces for residents of all ages to learn to the stunning new 'Percent for Art' installation, this will be a $39 million library worthy of the families who call Rego Park home. To our partners in government and all our neighbors who persisted in their call for a new library, thank you for making this day possible.”

“The expansion of the Rego Park library branch has been needed for decades,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. “As the District Attorney, I know the value of making sure there are mentors and places for young people to go, so they never end up in the criminal justice system. Our libraries strengthen education, opportunity, and community connections in Queens. Congratulations to Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott and everyone involved in making this project a reality.”

"I want to thank the Queens Public Library, the NYC DDC and all those involved in the much needed and deserved renovation of the Rego Park Library,” said State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. “While this will be a temporary inconvenience for our residents, when the renovation is completed we will all get to witness a long overdue upgrade and brand new accessible Library facility offering more amenities and services for the community, now and for generations to come."

“Our communities deserve state-of-the-art public libraries that serve as true neighborhood hubs for learning, opportunity, and connection, and this long-overdue project is an important investment in Rego Park,” said Council Member Robert Holden. “I thank Queens Public Library and the Department of Design and Construction for bringing it to fruition, and I also want to recognize former Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz for helping secure the funding and championing this project from the start, and I look forward to stopping by once it’s complete to see local families and students enjoying this beautiful new space.”

“Libraries are cornerstones of our neighborhoods, offering free education, technology, and safe spaces for every age group,” said Council Member Lynn Schulman. “As someone who was involved with the Rego Park Library project since I was the Library Chair on Community Board 6, today's groundbreaking marks a transformational $39 million investment in Rego Park’s future. The new branch illustrates how important it is to invest in public spaces that uplift everyone.”

“This day is a dream come true,” said former Council Member Karen Koslowitz, who long advocated for this project. “I have been waiting since 1993 and finally it is a reality. Thank you to Dennis Walcott who always kept me informed and knew how important this library was to me.”

“Community Board 6 is ecstatic to see the Rego Park Library project finally breaking ground,” said Christine Nolan, Community Board 6 District Manager. “After decades of advocacy, Rego Park will finally have a new, expanded, state-of-the-art library that meets the needs of the growing community.”

Queens Public Library will provide mobile library at the site on Thursdays from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, beginning January 8, 2026. Other nearby QPL locations include Elmhurst (86-07 Broadway); Forest Hills (108-19 71 Avenue); and North Forest Park (98-27 Metropolitan Avenue).

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 four 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. In supporting Mayor Adams’ long-term vision of growth, sustainability, resiliency, equity and healthy living, DDC provides communities with new or renovated public buildings such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, and new or upgraded roads, sewers and water mains in all five boroughs. To manage this $34 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative and environmentally-conscious design and construction strategies to City projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/ddc.