Brooklyn Public Library to build new Sheepshead Bay branch, consolidate 2 struggling locations

A new library is coming to Sheepshead Bay to replace two aging, disused local branches as part of a large-scale library revival in Brooklyn. Set to open at 2685 Coney Island Ave. in 2030, the new facility will take the place of the existing Sheepshead Bay and Homecrest libraries, the Brooklyn Public Library announced Tuesday. The two branches, located less than a mile apart, are fixtures of their respective communities. The Sheepshead Bay Library first opened in 1903 after local residents advocated for a new branch and raised $200 — equivalent to more than $6,000 today — as a down payment. It moved to its current location in 1963, the same year the Homecrest Library opened on Coney Island Avenue. Both branches serve large immigrant populations and host plenty of community programming. But their collections are among the least-leased in the borough, and the buildings are in poor shape.

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