Plan to divide Red Hook Library derided at CB6 meeting, by George Fiala

A plan to divide the Red Hook library that has been in the works for two years has finally come out in the open.

A committee meeting of Community Board6 (CB6) was held at the library on July 24th to discuss a Brooklyn Public Library (BPL)/Spaceworks proposal to take what is claimed to be underutilized space from the book area, and turn it into rehearsal space for dancers and other creative artists, who would pay $12 per hour for the privilege.

Alerted by this newspaper and other members of the community, a crowd that included many local residents, came out to hear the proposal and voice their opinion. In addition, many elected officials were present and some spoke, including Velmanette Montgomery, Carlos Menchaca and Felix Ortiz. In addition, Josh Levin from the NYC Comptroller’s office, and Dan Wiley, representing Nydia Velazquez participated.

The stormy meeting began with the library’s presentation. This presentation had been given to the same committee, CB6’s Land Use committee, last month. It had been passed by the committee, but enough complaints came from Red Hook, that CB6’s Executive Board tabled the application instead of approving it. It was sent back to committee, and a meeting in the library was scheduled where locals could hear the plan and voice opinions.

Land use ended up tabling the motion again, but it was a steamy three hour process that included cheering, razzing, clapping, yelling, heartfelt pleas and utter shock on the part of the community.

The Red Hook library was renovated after  Sandy, but problems remained, making the need for building improvements critical. For example, there is no air conditioning. The City Council has budgeted money for improvements. A library garden will be created as a result of Participatory Budgeting. Yet still the library executives sought more and thus began the Spaceworks relationship.

Spaceworks describes themselves as a “nonprofit cultural community development organization dedicated to expanding the supply of long-term, affordable rehearsal and studio space for artists in New York City.” Their partnership with the Red Hook Library would add $650,000 in capital improvement money.  What the library would give up is a significant portion of its ground floor space in order to create rental space for performing arts groups. It was unclear how much of the $650,000 would go for the construction of this new space. They also plan to redo the front door, and create a private back door for the artists, as the new space would have different hours than the library.

Representing the library were executives from the main Grand Army Plaza branch –  David Woloch, Executive Vice President, and Noila Rosario, Government Relations and Advocacy Manager. Representing Spaceworks was their executive director, Paul Parkhill. These three were obviously much more at home in their air conditioned offices, cooking up deals in overstuffed charis. They seemed to wither before the onslaught of questioning they faced from the riled-up Red Hook crowd.

An unfortunate part of this evenings proceedings was a valiant but obviously stressed Shannon Hummel, who leads the beloved neighborhood dance troupe Cora. Spaceworks has obviously made many promises to Cora and has involved them in their plans.

Hummel kept pleading her case by stressing the good she has done for the community. She didn’t seem to understand that nobody in the audience was disputing her – in fact she received many accolades. But the point in many of the mother’s minds was not to hurt Cora, but to keep the library devoted to books and reading, which is part of the NYC Library charter, and has been since 1902.

A major point of contention was the feeling of many that they were being presented with a done deal. It was acknowledged that this has been in the works for two years. It was acknowledged that little public outreach had been done, as Woloch meekly admitted. However, it is not as if nobody in Red Hook knew about this. A powerpoint slide indicated that Spaceworks had been in discussion with many other groups besides Cora Dance. These were Falconworks, Red Hook East and West Tenant Associations, Red Hook Initiative, Good Shepherd Services, Pioneer Works, Red Hook Rise, Red Hook Civic Association, Screwball Studios and Dance Theatre Etcetera.

Unfortunately, not one of these groups, consisting for the most part of organizations who might appreciate $12 per hour studio space, thought it important enough to bring this plan to the attention of the general community, or for that matter its community newspaper. Only Reg Flowers, of Falconworks, thought it even important enough to come before the library crowd and apologize for not doing a good job of communication. He poignantly said in public that “I failed by not telling others. We all have big mouths, but we didn’t open them wide enough.”

Roy Sloane, member of the Land Use committee, was outraged by the shoddy presentation made by the library and Spaceworks. He questioned whether Spaceworks was necessary to help the library. “You brought us no numbers… I don’t believe you at all,” he screamed at Woloch. He asked whether the Grand Army Plaza people had any vision for the library.

In the beginning, Woloch indeed spoke as if this were a done deal. He said that the renovation would begin within six months, and that the library would be closed for eight months. He said the work would not affect the outside look of the library. He did acknowledge that dialogue with the community had to be more “robust,” and that it would be from here on as the project progressed.

History of Spaceworks
Spaceworks was spawned during the Bloomberg administration by the Department of Cultural Affairs. Mayor Bloomberg, always a paragon of efficiency and good business practices, had the idea that better use could be made of some of the city’s public buildings. He was always a fan of public/private partnerships, as practiced in Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Highline. Spaceworks mission is to use city money to be managed privately. Parkhill, who once worked in the Manhattan DA’s office as an investigative analyst in the labor racketeering unit,  is not a public employee, but the organization receives all kinds of funding, including public. They were recently the subject of an investigative article by Michael White, in his blog Noticing New York. He was present at the meeting and questioned the legality of Spaceworks, and demanded to know how many more libraries they are planning to privatize.

The current Commissioner of Cultural Affairs, Tom Finkelpearl was at the meeting and spoke early. He said he had to leave to pick up his son. He professed his love for libraries, admitted to have had his house flooded during Sandy, and affirmed the fact that artists need affordable workspace in a city whose real estate values continue to jump by leaps and bounds.

Assemblywoman Velmanette Montgomery, impeccably and creatively dressed as usual, spoke next and stayed for the whole long affair. “I am very concerned about what is happening to our libraries,” she began. She told the crowd that libraries have served as safe havens for children, especially in troubled neighborhoods like the ones she has represented. She pointed out that funding of libraries is a choice. She was troubled that the city has decided to spend $12 million to keep David Letterman in New York, while at the same time seeking to sell or bargain away their assets, including libraries. “Yet the city says it has no money. We make choices, and it troubles me greatly to see the city forcing libraries to create some revenue.” She finished by saying that she had no specific opinion on the proposed plan, that she showed up to get more information. She was true to her word. Fans had to be turned off in able to hear the speakers, and she sat in the hot library right through to the end.

Menchaca looking for ideas
Councilman Carlos Menchaca gave Cora Dance a big plug, but did not commit one way or the other. He stressed the need for more communication and transparency on the library’s part.

RHI’s Sheryl Nash-Chisholm had definite views on the subject. “We must find another building – the library is the library!” she exclaimed. Khadijah James, who has lived in Red Hook over twenty years, recalled the days when she couldn’t even get a cab to take her home. “Now it’s become tony. People who never would visit me are dying to come over. I don’t want to lose my community, and I don’t want to lose my library.”

A woman sitting on the aisle named Yasmine Rahman had trouble keeping quiet, she was so exorcised. “Where are the books in this plan?” she exclaimed. The audience roared approval to this statement.

Karen Broughton, who is working for Felix Ortiz, wondered how this plan could be in development for two years without anyone coming to the community before this.

The fact is that the only reason that this was coming to the community at all was because Craig Hammerman and CB6 forced the library’s hand. Normally, committee decisions are rubber stamped by the board. But not in this case.

Jerry Armer former CB6 chair recently reappointed to the board chided the library officials, saying that their presentation was lazy. “How can we make a decision if the information is not here. I can’t believe that there isn’t a signed agreement with Spaceworks. What does it say?” He and others couldn’t believe that there was not a better representation of the plans. Basically, the library/Spaceworks trio kept pointing around the room, saying this would be here and that there. Armer said they had to do better than that.

Lined up to ask questions
There were so many people who wanted to speak that the committee chair Peter Fleming stopped pointing at people and had questioners line up in two rows. The back and forth went on and on. Lucy Koteen made an impassioned plea for sanity. The plan calls for library users to have ten hours per week in the space that would be occupied by Spaceworks. “Ten hours a week is absurd,” she shouted.

Wally Bazemore kept pointing to the ceiling saying that in his opinion, if Spaceworks wanted part of the library, just build a second floor. This idea was also mentioned by John McGettrick. However, others cautioned, pointing the danger of losing the library entirely were the building made bigger. Bazemore also said that bookshelves and furniture, which the renovation plan included, could be gotten for free from IKEA, were they asked. He claimed that such donations were part of a community benefits agreement that was negotiated when they opened in Red Hook.

Chris Hammett, Executive Director of Falconworks, was the only resident who seemed to think that private use of public space was a good idea. He pointed to Added Value and charter schools as examples of good privatization. He did say that he had no strong feelings about the Spaceworks plan, however.

As the clocked ticked towards 9 pm, Fleming decided it was time to decide what to do. A motion was made to ask the library and Spaceworks people to return to at least one or possibly two future committee meetings, bringing some more information, including real numbers, about their plan. No vote was taken this evening, and the previous approval was nullified. Glancing over at Parkhill, Fleming was quick to add that in the event that the library were to go ahead with their plans before coming back to the board, they would automatically go on record as not in favor of it.