On July 8, 2005, Brooklyn Public Library celebrated its Plaza + Auditorium groundbreaking ceremony with elected officials and community leaders, including Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz; Congressman Major R. Owens; New York City Councilmember Letitia James; Marilyn Gelber, Executive Director, Independence Community Foundation and Terry Mitchell, Brooklyn Public Library Foundation Trustee and President of the Consumer Banking Division at Independence Community Bank.

Brooklyn Public Library's Central Library Plaza is undergoing an exciting renovation to become an even more inviting destination for the public. The renovation includes the construction of a new large-scale Auditorium beneath the Plaza alongside new meeting rooms and exhibition space.

The 16,000-square-foot Plaza will serve as an active and informal outdoor reading room, gathering area and performance space, with amenities such as a café and wireless Internet, and with fountains along the stairway. The Plaza will be equipped with ADA-compliant ramps to ensure easy access to the Library's front doors for people in wheelchairs or with strollers.

Underneath the Plaza, the 200-seat Dr. S. Stevan Dweck Auditorium, adjacent meeting rooms and exhibition area will serve as multi-purpose performance and educational spaces, hosting a variety of programs. The Auditorium will feature top quality sound, lighting and projection systems, and video-conferencing technology.

The Plaza + Auditorium was designed by the firm Vincent Benic Architect, whose projects have received awards from the Municipal Art Society, the New York Landmarks Conservancy, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the New York State Association of Architects and the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation.

Brooklyn Public Library Foundation (BPLF) has launched Breaking New Ground at Brooklyn Public Library, a campaign to raise $16.5 million for the Plaza + Auditorium and a Program Endowment. Generous gifts from individuals, corporations and foundations have put BPLF within reach of this goal. The campaign started with the largest individual gift in Brooklyn Public Library's history-$1.5 million from Dr. S. Stevan Dweck. Other major lead gifts include $500,000 from Independence Community Foundation and $100,000 from Con Edison. Substantial public support has also been provided by the Brooklyn Borough President, the Brooklyn Delegation of the New York City Council and through Federal appropriations. Support the Breaking New Ground Campaign by making a contribution today.

The Plaza and Auditorium are scheduled for completion in fall 2007. The public and staff may enter Central Library through two entrances on Eastern Parkway until construction on the Plaza is complete.