Brooklyn residents are pushing to save a public library from real estate developers.
Activists say building a new affordable housing development on the site of the Sunset Park Library is a bad move.
Developers backed by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman plan to build an eight-story apartment building with more than 50 units on top of the branch. They say the new building on 4th Avenue near 51st Street will provide more affordable housing to the community—with half of the units going to neighborhood residents.
Residents say they are not against affordable housing but argue that the project's development will limit future library expansion.
"I grew up in this neighborhood. This library's a resource for all the kids in the community, and I don't want them taking away the resource that I had, and the benefits I had growing up," said one resident.
"They feel that this is important to be removed, as if education is nothing. That's crazy," said another.
The project's developers say the proposal includes rebuilding and expanding the one-floor library to 20,000 square feet.