After a five-year closure and repeated delays, construction at the Benjamin Franklin Branch Library is set to begin this July, with restoration expected to be completed by July 2026.
A project information sheet from the city notes that construction is scheduled from July 17, 2025, to July 16, 2026.
Meanwhile, a temporary bungalow that has provided books and workshops during the branch’s closure is expected to close this year.
To fill the service gap during construction, the library will deploy mobile outreach vans to provide library materials, fulfill patron holds, and answer reference questions, according to a May 8 report by the city’s Bureau of Engineering. Library staff will determine the best times and days for service.
The report also notes that the R.L. Stevenson Branch and the Malabar Branch Libraries will “serve as additional service hubs during the closure of the Benjamin Franklin Branch temporary trailer.”
The Benjamin Franklin Library first closed its doors to the public during the pandemic in 2020, like many other libraries throughout the city. But, while other libraries reopened, the local branch remained closed after it was determined that it needed extensive renovations.
Renovations include new carpets, bookshelves, study rooms and furniture. Exterior restorations will include solar panels, a repaved parking lot, and electric vehicle charging stations. Existing resources like the Adult Literacy Program – which helps adults with their reading abilities – and the New American Center – which helps residents with immigration needs – will have their own dedicated space.
The library had originally been slated to reopen in early 2024.
Neighborhood residents have sought answers about the delays, leading Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado to call for a report, detailing the progress of renovation and the reasons for the continued delays.
That report notes that a staffing shortage delayed environmental and historical cultural assessments that were necessary to determine the renovation’s design approach. “Soft demolition” inside the building has taken place, as has work on seating and book stacks, according to the report.
Jurado has said the report was the first step in “restoring access to the Boyle Heights library.”
“Boyle Heights, like any neighborhood, deserves our city services and deserves a safe place for respite,” she said.