I'm not surprised. I've been to older libraries and while the buildings are historic & charming, they are falling apart. And forget it if there's a fire. But, I think older churches have a similar type of problem. Beautiful buildings but falling apart.
https://www.thecity.nyc/2022/2/7/229...pl-fire-alarms
The scariest story at the oldest library in the city is a tale of bureaucratic red tape delaying the installation of fire alarms for more than a decade and counting.
Working fire alarms don’t exist and neither do functional overhead sprinklers inside the New York Public Library’s Ottendorfer branch in the East Village. The two-story building, dating back to 1884, has long been exempt from updated building codes.
NYPL officials have tried to upgrade the site for more than a decade.
But the fix at the historic building has been delayed for more than 12 years. The city Department of Design and Construction now says full completion is finally set for this spring.
The construction safety saga at the Ottendorfer Branch — 147 months and counting — makes it the longest outstanding construction project in the city’s library system, according to a DDC review obtained by THE CITY. But it’s not the only one dragging on longer than “War and Peace.”
The records also revealed two other projects that date back to 2009: a lobby renovation that shuttered the Jefferson Market Library in Greenwich Village and another fire alarm upgrade at the Muhlenberg branch in Chelsea.
DDC officials said the stalled sites are remnants of a different era at the department when it “bundled” similar projects across multiple sites to address needs cited by other agencies.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
