After two decades of planning and years of delays, the Hunters Point Library is finally opening in Long Island City. 

This new branch of the Queens Public Library was first proposed for the neighborhood in 1999, but it took more than 10 years for concrete plans to materialize.

The road here was bumpy, to put it lightly—and when all was said and done, the total cost of the library was more than $40 million. 

Dennis Walcott, the president of the Queens Public Library, called it a “community living room”—a place where neighborhood residents can read, yes, but also attend events, hang out, or use as a meeting point.

(source: nycurbed)