Renovation forthcoming! Hubbell Library in Algiers Point

Great news! Today, August 22 at 1:30 PM, Mayor Mitch Landrieu, City Councilmembers, City Officials, and FEMA will announced plans to renovate the Cita Dennis Hubbell Library at 725 Pelican Avenue in Algiers. The total cost of construction is $1.3 million with funding coming from City bonds and FEMA public assistance. This renovation will fully refurbish the 105 year old building which has been closed since 2008.

The Algiers Branch at 725 Pelican Avenue was originally built in 1907. It was one of five New Orleans libraries established with money from Andrew Carnegie. For almost sixty years, it served as the only public library on New Orleans’ west bank but was closed in 1966 due to deterioration and to make way for the new Algiers Regional Branch approximately four miles away. Neighborhood residents, led by Cita Dennis Hubbell, successfully lobbied the City of New Orleans to repair and reopen the branch in 1975 as the Algiers Point Branch, with a capacity of 20,000 books. After Mrs. Hubbell’s death, the City of New Orleans rededicated the library as the Cita Dennis Hubbell Branch in 2002. In 2005, the library survived Hurricane Katrina mostly intact but was closed to the public in 2008 due to moisture and termite damage to the roof.

Renovations to the library will include a new roof, lighting and fixtures, storefront entry vestibule, HVAC system, flooring, windows, fire alarm system and electrical code upgrades. The library’s historic features, like its masonry walls and iron gate, will also be fully restored.

View more photos of the library on our Flickr site HERE.