The main branch of the 136-year-old Hoboken Public Library system closed in mid-August as it undergoes a restoration initiative that will bring back much of its original character. The building at 500 Park Avenue is set to partially reopen in early October, while work on the restoration of the first and mezzanine levels continues.
The project is set to restore the original plaster walls, pressed-metal ceilings, cornices and frieze tiles of the main library building. Flooring, millwork and bookcases will also be restored to their original appearance from 1897, when the building first opened.
The project, designed by Trenton-based architectural firm Clarke Caton Hintz, will also add a new vertical lift to connect the first and mezzanine levels of the main building.
“Even while work is underway, residents will continue to have access to the library’s critical services across the city,” Hoboken Mayor Emily Jabbour said in a prepared statement. “When this phase is complete, Hoboken will have a more welcoming, more accessible library that ensures everyone can fully experience everything this remarkable institution has to offer.”
The library system said in a press release that children’s and teen programs will continue at the Grand Street Branch, on the second floor of the Multi-Service Center at 124 Grand Street, and at partner locations throughout the city. The library’s learning center at 401 Harrison Street will offer adult computer access during the main branch’s closure, while storytimes will move outdoors to parks.
Although the main branch will remain closed during the project, the library’s self-service lockers outside the building, the Grand Street branch and the Hoboken Historical Museum will remain fully operational during the revamp.
The library system said the project is being funded from its own capital investment fund and a grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust.
The Hoboken Public Library system secured a $750,000 award in September 2023, according to a press release from the historic trust. That award was authorized four years after the trust granted another $750,000 to upgrade mechanical systems in the main branch. The historic trust also provided the library system two awards for $50,000 and $750,000 in 2018 and 2008, respectively.
