A gathering in front of the New York Public Library’s Fifth Avenue flagship building is planned for Wednesday afternoon to register opposition to the library’s renovation plan.
The rally against the project - known as the Central Library Plan - was timed to coincide with the quarterly meeting of the library’s trustees.
“The Central Library Plan has got to be stopped,†said Theodore Grunewald, a member of the Committee to Save the New York Public Library, which organized the rally with Citizens Defending Libraries, another advocacy group.
“It defies common sense and logic,†he said. “It’s a carry-coals-to-Newcastle scheme in a city where library services are being cut across the board at a time when usage is up and capital improvements are needed.â€
Mr. Grunewald said his committee was also seeking an independent financial review to determine the actual cost of the project, which has been estimated at $300 million to $350 million.
Ken Weine, a library spokesman, said, “We welcome public engagement with the renovation project, which has already led to improvements, and we look forward to continuing to meet with library patrons and citizens.â€
