Friday, December 6, 2024
Hundreds of people gathered last Sunday morning for the Oceanside Library’s grand reopening, after a multi-year renovation that transformed the institution into a modern, state-of-the-art facility. The day was filled with excitement and anticipation as community members, library staff and local officials crowded into the building’s new spaces and celebrated the remarkable effort that brought this ambitious project to life.
The Library board's Vice President Janet Pearsall was on the Construction Committee and played a key role in guiding the library through the complex renovation process along with Director Chris Marra and Assistant Director Tony Iovino to oversee the construction. Iovino also served as Master of Ceremonies for the grand opening.
“This library is a testament to what can be achieved when a community comes together with a shared vision,” Pearsall said. “We’re proud to open these doors and present this incredible space, which will serve as a hub of learning and creativity for generations to come.”
The project was undertaken by the E.W. Howell Construction Group, with Paul Schell and his team leading the construction. The building was designed by H2M Architects + Engineers, led by Eric Maisch and Adriana Concepcion, and MDA Designgroup Architects & Planners, led by Elisabeth Martin and Caitlin McManus.
“Every space can be used for anything, essentially any program that the library needs to run,” Concepcion said, underscoring the library’s role as a multi-functional community hub.
Schell, a member of the Oceanside High School class of 2017, reflected on the personal significance of working on the library renovation, recalling fond childhood memories of visiting the facility.
“Standing here now, I’m just in awe,” Schell said. “I remember getting my first library card when I was 5 or 6. To see this space transformed, and to know I had a part in it, is something special.”
He reflected on the challenges of the project, including the need to fit the new 165-seat theater on the library’s lower level, calling it a “huge undertaking,” but one he and his team were proud to be part of.
“We had to deal with groundwater in the space, particularly in the basement level,” Maisch said. “It was a major hurdle for us to overcome, but not uncommon for a project of this size on Long Island’s South Shore.”
The ceremony included the dedication of a time capsule, spearheaded by the Friends of the Oceanside Library, led by President Angela Iovino. The capsule, filled with items reflective of the library’s current role in the community, will be buried by the library steps, and opened in 2074.
“We proudly supported this project and provided assistance in passing the bonds that funded this magnificent building,” Iovino said. “This time capsule will let future generations know how much this library, its staff, and this community meant to all of us today.”
The library has long been a cultural touchstone for the area, with a commitment to supporting the arts. Poet-in-residence Christina Rau read a dedication poem, “A Brilliant Renewal,” which echoed the library’s transformation.
“A raised building rises anew, a brilliant renewal, a return to familiar shelves lined with dreams,” Rau read.
Marra, who worked closely with the board and the construction team, was visibly moved as she addressed the crowd, and thanked the community for its support throughout the project. “You believed in us,” Marra said, “and together we did it.”
She invited attendees to explore the library’s new spaces, which include the state-of-the-art theater, a Discovery Lab, a Whisk & Brush art and podcast studio, a Zoom Room, and The Beacon, a new teen space designed to foster creativity and collaboration. The children’s room has been expanded, offering the community’s youngest readers even more opportunities for programming and activities.
The completed facility has been expanded by some 16,000 square feet, to 48,000 square feet. It now features a teaching kitchen that can be used for both cooking and art classes, as well as a STEM lab for science, technology, engineering and math programs.
After the ribbon was cut, attendees hurried into the building, eager to see it for themselves. The reopening marks the start of a new chapter for the library, which has been a cornerstone of the Oceanside community for over a century.
The renovation was funded by a $33.5 million bond initiative that the community approved overwhelmingly in June 2020.
“The past couple of months were spent making sure the library was ready for this big day,” Schell said. “It’s impressive what they’ve managed to accomplish. I really commend them for their dedication.”
