QPL President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott and Council Member Joann Ariola welcome customers to Seaside Library on Feb. 5 after the branch reopened following its HVAC replacement project. Photo credit: Matthew Lapiska/DDC
QPL’s Seaside Branch Reopens after $2.4 Million HVAC System Replacement
(Queens, NY – February 5, 2026) Queens Public Library (QPL) President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott, NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Acting Commissioner Eduardo del Valle, Council Member Joann Ariola, along with library staff and community members, today celebrated the re-opening of the Seaside Library following the installation of a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
“We know the community has eagerly awaited the reopening of this branch, and our team is thrilled to resume service in a space that will be comfortably heated and cooled,” said QPL President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott. “I am grateful to the public and our staff for their patience during construction, and I thank our elected officials for supporting the project and the NYC Department of Design and Construction for managing it.”
“Seaside Library is an important staple and gathering space for the Rockaway community and we’re very pleased to have delivered this project that completely renovated the building’s heating, cooling and ventilation system,” said NYC Department of Design and Construction Acting Commissioner Edurdo del Valle. “The renovation, which was completed on budget, will give Seaside Library goers a comfortable space while they read.”
“Our libraries are refuges for our families in so many ways. Not only do they provide us the great reads that transport us to fantastic lands, but they also provide us a place to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “The Seaside Library's new HVAC system will allow this branch to continue to be that refuge from the elements that our families rely on, especially in frigid weeks like this one. Thank you to our partners at the Queens Public Library and NYC DDC for their work to bring this project over the finish line.”
“The Seaside Library has always been a cornerstone of the community, and its reopening is something that Rockaway residents have been looking forward to for a long time,” said NYC Councilwoman Joann Ariola. “Thank you to everyone for your patience during this long process, and I can't wait to see all of the amazing programming the library has in store for the neighborhood.”
“Community Board 14 is pleased to announce the long-awaited reopening of the Seaside Library following a two-year closure to install a modern, energy efficient HVAC system. This critical upgrade ensures that the branch can continue to serve residents in a safe, comfortable, and climate-controlled environment year-round,” said Community Board 14 District Manager Felicia Johnson. “Throughout the closure, the community has shown tremendous patience and support. Residents have been eagerly anticipating the return of this essential neighborhood resource, and their enthusiasm reflects just how vital the Seaside Library is to the fabric of our community. Community Board 14 extends its sincere appreciation to Queens Public Library for overseeing the project with great care and for ensuring that all work was completed safely and responsibly. With the upgrades now complete, we are excited to welcome residents back and look forward to seeing the Seaside Library once again thrive as a hub for learning, connection, and community life.”
Enthusiastic customers enter Seaside Library on Feb. 5 following the branch’s reopening after the HVAC replacement project. Photo credit: Matthew Lapiska/DDC
The one-story, 7,500-foot-square building, located at 116-15 Rockaway Beach Blvd. in Belle Harbor, has served the community since 1979. The upgraded HVAC system eliminates the central boiler and uses rooftop units with electric cooling and gas-fired heating, improving overall energy efficiency. The HVAC work, managed by DDC for QPL, also includes new ductwork, controls, acoustical screening and a fire alarm system. DDC worked with K.O. Technologies, Inc. and Cosentini Associates on the project.
The Seaside Library hours are:
Monday - 10 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday – 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday – 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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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 five 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, providing New York’s diverse communities in all five boroughs with new or renovated public buildings such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, and new or upgraded roads, sewers and water mains. 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.
CONTACT:
DDC: Denisse Moreno, morenode@ddc.nyc.gov
QPL: Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska, ekern@queenslibrary.org