Brooklyn Public Library plans to replace the Sheepshead Bay and Homecrest locations with a single, larger facility. The new branch, planned for 2685 Coney Island Avenue, is expected to open in 2030 and will include computers and programming for all ages.
Two Aging Branches, One New Home
According to Brooklyn Paper, the Homecrest Library will close in 2029, ahead of the end of its lease on June 30 of that year, while the Sheepshead Bay Library will shutter the following summer. The two branches sit less than a mile apart, and both serve large immigrant populations even though their collections rank among the least-leased in the borough and their buildings are in poor shape, per the same report. BPL bought the property at 2685 Coney Island Avenue, which currently houses four adjacent commercial buildings, for just under $5 million.
Both existing branches are leased rather than owned by BPL, which the outlet notes makes them ineligible for city-funded capital improvements. The Homecrest building alone has suffered multiple unplanned closures over the past three years, and the article states that needed fixes there would cost at least $16 million. At Sheepshead Bay, only one-third of the building is ADA accessible, according to BPL.
A Century of History Comes To An End
The Sheepshead Bay Library first opened in 1903, after local residents raised $200 as a down payment to advocate for a branch of their own, the station's report notes. It later moved to its current location in 1963 — the same year the Homecrest Library opened nearby. In the decades since, Sheepshead Bay has hosted talent shows, chess classes, and an Eastern European writers' and readers group, while Homecrest has run programs for young children and students and served local schools and daycare centers. Together, the two branches offer collections in English, Russian, Chinese, Urdu, Hebrew and Spanish, among other languages, per BPL's website.
BPL President Linda Johnson said the consolidated branch will provide “an inspiring, fully accessible and beautifully designed public library, equipped to serve its patrons for generations to come.” She added that the library system will work with the community on designing a space that reflects people's needs and aspirations. A public engagement process is expected to begin this winter, with construction slated to begin in 2028.
Residents Imagine A Bigger, Brighter Branch
Faina Shnayder said she hopes for a modern, spacious library with comfortable spaces for children and people of all ages, and said she's looking forward to large cultural-event rooms and outdoor community space at the new site. State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton said the new branch will modernize library access and be fully ADA-accessible for the neighborhood.
Part Of A Borough-Wide Overhaul
BPL has described the Sheepshead Bay project as part of the largest library-development push since the Carnegie era, with 11 branches currently closed for renovations and upgrades across the system. The Walt Whitman Library is set to reopen this month, and the Carroll Gardens Library is expected to follow in December. The Gerritsen Beach Library debuted new children's and play areas along with a refreshed exterior last year, and the Eastern Parkway Library is currently undergoing a $36 million upgrade and expansion.
The scale of that investment reflects a system-wide effort to catch up on deferred maintenance. According to the Brooklyn Public Library, the system has reduced its unfunded repair needs from more than $300 million to $240 million, and more than a third of its branches have recently been or will be replaced or overhauled. A similar model played out at the Brooklyn Heights Library, which reopened in June 2022 as a 26,620-square-foot facility after a $23 million fit-out, with the remaining $40 million in proceeds funneled into capital projects at other branches throughout the borough.
