State Senator Gustavo Rivera and Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia Announce State Funding for Tremont Library

 

State Senator Gustavo Rivera and Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia announce that $120,888 in state aid from the 2021-2022 State Budget has been allocated to the Tremont Branch of the New York Public Library. These funds will enable the Tremont Library to support the replacement of the front and side doors at the library, which are now past their useful life. The new doors, like the existing non-original doors, will be fabricated to the specifications of this historic, red brick building. The Tremont Library has served the Bronx since 1905 and was originally built with funds given to New York City by Andrew Carnegie.

“The Tremont Library is a staple of our community and a monument that should be preserved. I’m proud that this funding allocation will help upgrade this facility to better welcome families who enjoy the space and its services. Public libraries are community assets and I’m grateful that our State is actively investing in them to keep them updated for years to come,” said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. 

“Libraries should be areas where someone can grow in their intellectual formation. The Tremont Library has long been a part a staple of this community in assuring that some of the most marginalized Bronxites have an opportunity to thrive. These renovations will continue to allow people to form friendships, memories, and development in such a key part of the Bronx,” said Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia.

New York’s public libraries are in urgent need of renovation and upgrading. More than half of the over 1,000 public library buildings in communities across New York are over 60 years old. Many of New York’s local public libraries are unable to accommodate users with disabilities, are energy inefficient, or cannot provide Internet, computer, and other electronic technologies to users because of outdated and inadequate electrical wiring. The New York State 2021-2022 Budget funded the State Aid for Library Construction Program to support the construction of new library buildings, the development of broadband infrastructure, construction additions to existing buildings, and the renovation and/or rehabilitation of existing spaces.