Renovations And Expansion Planned For Quogue Library

The Quogue Library is getting a $3.5 million face-lift this fall that will nearly double the size of the 31-year-old community building.

The project, prepared by Guy Horvath of Austin Patterson Disston Architects in Quogue, includes bumping out the rear of the building to accommodate increased children’s programming, as well as adding a second story to the Quogue Street library, which will be entirely devoted to space for staff.

In total, the renovations will add an additional 4,500 square feet to the pre-existing 5,700-square-foot building, according to Library Director Lonna Theiling. The nine-month construction is expected to be complete by fall 2019.

“Staff doesn’t have anywhere to hang their hats,” Ms. Theiling said in regard to the planned second-story addition. “They don’t have anywhere to decompress.”

The library director added that the proposed upgrades will be funded using community donations, and while she said that the library has seen tremendous support from the community in the past several months, she declined to specify how much money the community center has earned to date.

“This library means a lot to the community, and you can tell by the response,” she said. “It’s been overwhelming.”

Compared to last year, Ms. Theiling said that the library has seen an increase in visitors, programming, and circulation, noting that from January to June, 22,622 patrons visited the library—an increase from 19,295 patrons last year. Additionally, a total of 10,526 items were checked out this year as opposed to 8,843 in 2017.

Ms. Theiling added that the expanded children’s space will include a much needed program room and tween space.

“I think the philosophy in Quogue is that children are our future—it’s the most important part of the library. It’s the future of the library,” she said.

Additional upgrades include expanding the parking lot to include eight staff parking spaces behind the building, as well as moving the library-owned schoolhouse building to a new location either beside the existing library or closer to the street. “It can’t stay right behind us because of the children’s expansion,” Ms. Theiling said.

On Friday, the Quogue Village Board, which is acting as lead agency under the State Environmental Quality Review Act, decided that the proposed expansion would have no significant or adverse impact on the environment.

Mr. Horvath said on Tuesday that the firm expects to receive final approval for permits filed through the Suffolk County Department of Health Services within the next two weeks, and will be applying this week for a building permit through the Quogue Village Building Department.

He explained that from the street, the library’s additions will be indiscernible from the original building.

“What we’re doing is very discreet,” Mr. Horvath said.