Freed-Montrose Library closing for safety issues
The Montrose branch of the Houston Public Library will permanently close Thursday due to “ongoing safety and facility issues that cannot be resolved in a timely manner.”
The Eleanor K. FreedMontrose Neighborhood Library on 4100 Montrose Blvd., will close and cease all operations at the end of business hours, a Wednesday news release states. Among the safety concerns was a nonfunctioning elevator that didn’t comply with ADA accessibility standards.
The Houston Landing also obtained an email from an employee who expressed concern after the library was without phone and internet service, and low temperatures inside the building.
“We understand the inconvenience this closure may cause, but please know that we are completely focused on providing a better equipped and more accessible library facility for our customers,” Houston Public Library Executive Director Rhea Brown Lawson said in a statement.
The historic library has been in headlines for years as officials tried to figure out what to do about the building.
In 2013, the Houston City Council approved a multimillion-dollar renovation plan for the building slated to occur within fiscal years 2014-2018. Most of the funding was initially expected to come from the city’s Public Library Consolidated Construction Fund, with approximately $27,000 coming from a future bond election.
However, the plan was halted after issues with the roof, plumbing and additional utilities needed to be restored.
Developer Houstonbased Radom Capital worked with the city on a new proposal: Helping to relocate the branch.
The developer partnered with the city to place the library branch within the new 150,000square-foot development project called “Montrose Collective.” In October 2019, it was said the library would occupy space on the second and third floors of a three-story building behind Uchi and the city would be responsible for the interior buildout.
In December 2019, the city council approved a plan crucial to the proposed relocation that included selling the 8,300square-foot parcel of land at 802 Westheimer Road and $4.6 million towards design and construction services for the new library. The developer promised to dedicate 10,000 square feet of the Montrose Collective project to relocating the library.
“I think this is a great example of community input and engagement,” District C Councilmember Abbie Kamin said at a 2021 meeting. “We’re all really sad to lose the Freed Montrose Library, but this is a great new asset to the area that we’ll be getting.”
There have been delays in the construction of the library, however, the Houston Public Library release said the construction is underway for the new building which is anticipated to open in fall 2024. The new FreedMontrose Neighborhood Library is set to be in the mixed-use shopping center at 1001 California Street.
“Although the doors may close, the knowledge and memories shared within the walls of FreedMontrose Neighborhood Library will forever endure. I look forward to welcoming customers to the new library later this year,” Lawson said in a statement.
A book drop for returns will be available until Thursday, April 4.
Other libraries near the Montrose area include Central Library, Smith Neighborhood Library and Looscan Neighborhood Library.