Check it out: Lakeview library's $8M renovation pays tribute to the past, looks to the future

On the third floor of the Lakeview Public Library wires dangle from exposed rafters, pipes jut out from exposed gray and red brick and holes in the ceiling form a physical record of water that has leaked inside.

But the recently demolished interior is a sign of progress toward the third floor's renovation, which has never been open to the public since the converted school building opened up as a library in 2001.

Library officials estimate the face-lift of the 11,400-square-foot floor, which includes a new roof, windows, classrooms, workspaces, a sound studio for podcasts, and community and exhibition spaces at nearly $8 million. The renovated floor will also have a donated flight simulator.

On Thursday, Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre) toured the third floor, whose makeover will in part be funded by $850,000 in federal funding she secured in the fiscal 2026 budget.

The new space will also have a co-working space, study area, an auditorium and cooking area.

“This is one of the only buildings in Lakeview that we have where the community can come in and take advantage of different programming, free programming, and provide a safe space for our youth,” the library's director, Camina Raphaël-Lubin, said.

The third floor will also have a historical wall to remember the Woodfield Road School that formerly occupied the building.

“It was the school that primarily all the children of color went to before it was desegregated,” Raphaël-Lubin said. “So we want to keep that history alive in the community.”

Gillen said her office helped the library get the funding through the congressional appropriations process.

“Lakeview is a community that is so often overlooked,” Gillen said of the unincorporated hamlet within the Town of Hempstead. Whereas villages have mayors and trustees to advocate for their residents, communities like Lakeview can have a more difficult time securing funding, she said.

“When I got the application for Lakeview, I wanted to make sure that we are helping this community where these dollars mean so much more than just a beautification project,” Gillen said. “This is going to be an incredible resource for this community. With the tech and the STEAM lab that they're going to have up there, what a resource for these children.”

Lisa Ortiz, president of the library's board of trustees, said the board estimated the project would cost just under $3 million about three years ago, but factors including inflation and tariff-associated costs increased the price tag. Now the library must raise another $3 million for the entire project, she said.

“We are soliciting as many funds from our elected officials as possible,” Ortiz said. “We're seeking out grants. We have saved over the years a good amount of money to put towards this project.”

The project has long been delayed because the trustees didn’t want to raise residents' taxes to pay for the renovation, she said. Still, Ortiz said they are hoping to complete the project in two years. 

Area resident Aisha Demosthenes, a bilingual speech pathologist and president of the nonprofit Moms Who Care, called the library a "major hub" for the community. “Folks can go there to obviously check out books, do research, use media, but then they also offer a plethora of activities … [and] there are tons of activities for the children," Demosthenes said. 

Her nonprofit promotes literacy and has held events at the library. She said the community is eager for the new space.

“It promises to be something that's amazing,” Demosthenes said. “So of course we can't wait for that day to cut the ribbon and celebrate this amazing addition to our community.”