The Board of Trustees of the Hauppauge Public Library at their March 16, 2017 meeting approved to lease 19,200 square feet of 1373 Veterans Memorial Highway. The Library opened it’s doors there on April 28, 2018. The Library has seven meeting rooms that can accommodate groups of six to over 100. The Library has a lot of seating. Most seats are powered so guests can charge their devices while enjoying our free wifi. Our collections are open and easier to access as well.
Come on down and visit the library. If you happen to be in Classroom C you may wonder where the mural came from. Here is it’s story.
If your question is not answered here, please contact the Library Director, Matthew Bollerman, at matthew@hauppaugelibrary.org or 631-979-1600.
How did the location get chosen?
After the second bond for a new facility at Hidden Pond Park failed in June 2015, the Board of Trustees hired an exclusive real estate broker to help locate all available properties in Hauppauge/Islip. The properties needed to be at least 18,000 square feet and as centrally located as possible. A number of properties were examined that met the criteria. A proposal to buy an existing facility was pursued and dropped due to the budget not being reasonable. A short list of properties were pursued. 1373 Veterans Memorial Highway had the best combination of price, availability, and location.
Who decided on this location for the Library?
The five volunteer Board of Trustees are able to make the decision to lease property for the Library according to Education Law, section 226 article 6. When the Library proposed the idea of a library facility at Hidden Pond Park it was going to be funded by a bond. Bonds require a public vote in order to be initiated.
Why did this seem to happen so quickly?
The Library has been investigating a new location since August 2015 when they hired a real estate broker. Once the short list was developed, a series of negotiations had to occur as a deal was being struck. The nature of the transaction did not allow for our inviting the community to comment on the location, the term of the lease or other factors. The discussions on the properties occurred at almost every Board meeting over the last year and a half.
How much will the lease cost?
Currently the Library is paying $34 a square foot for our 13,500 square foot space. Our current lease has increases of 4% every year. Our new lease will be $23.50 a square foot for 19,200 square feet. Our new lease is structured to increase by 2.75% in some years and 0% in other years over the thirty year six month term. Over the course of the thirty years the Library will pay $20,116,887.60 in rent payments.
What will the new location have? Why rent more space?
The Board of Trustees reviewed a space requirement plan in June/July 2013. This plan was used in the planning of a facility for Hidden Pond Park. In July 2015 the space requirement plan was reviewed again and confirmed and used in determining the needs of a space for the Library. This plan includes more seating, more meeting areas of different sizes and configurations, a dedicated teen area, a technology lab and a media creation studio. The plans for 1373 Veterans Memorial Highway will include all of these expanded and new services.
Where can I find information about the Hidden Pond Park Library Proposal?
View those pages here.