Hauppauge, LI—Tuesday, March 13: Legislator Rob Calarco’s bill to help move the historic Carnegie Library to a new location in Patchogue passed unanimously at the General Meeting of the Legislature today. The landmark building needs to be moved from its current location on Lake Street in order to accommodate the New Village project, which if it moves forward, will transform and revitalize the Four Corner area of the Patchogue downtown.
Leg. Calarco’s resolution is the first of two resolutions that will ultimately relocate the structure at no cost to taxpayers. This first resolution empowers the County Department of Public Works to study the feasibility of relocation, while the second resolution will enable the County to enter into an agreement with Patchogue Village for relocation, ideally to the 6th District Court property. Tritec Development Group, developers for the New Village project, will be responsible for moving the building, placing it on a foundation and connecting the utilities. Patchogue Village will retain ownership of the building and take on the responsibility of determining its future use.
The Carnegie Library, which was built on land donated by Edwin F. Bailey and with funds donated by steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, opened to the Patchogue community in 1908 and functioned as the Patchogue Library until 1981. The building was thereafter used by Briarcliffe College. Today the neoclassical building is still beautiful and remains in excellent condition.
“Our ability to embrace our past while looking to the future is what makes Patchogue Village a great place to live, raise a family and do business. The Carnegie Library is one such jewel for the Village of Patchogue. Even better, it presents us with the perfect opportunity to take this gracious old building back to the future, where it will once again be used as a cultural and educational resource,” said Leg. Calarco.
“Relocating this historic structure will accomplish two purposes – it will save an important piece of our shared architectural history while making way for an important economic development project that will benefit the village for many years to come,” said County Executive Steve Bellone.
“Since the beginning of the planning for the redevelopment of our downtown, this administration has been committed to the preservation and restoration of the Carnegie Library. This legislation introduced by Leg. Calarco which seeks to move the building to the 6th District Court property allows us to fulfill that promise made without burdening the taxpayer,” said Mayor Paul Pontieri.