The West Hempstead Library Board and the West Hempstead School Board have announced that plans for the construction of a new West Hempstead Public Library were approved on Friday, April 29 by the New York State Education Department. West Hempstead residents overwhelmingly passed a bond referendum in June 2003 to build the new library on the corner of Locust Street and Hempstead Avenue.

According to a press release issued by the West Hempstead School District, under state law, it is the role of the school district as a legal entity to issue bonds for the construction of the library and to acquire the property.

The new library project has had some bumps along the way. The West Hempstead school board has initiated a condemnation proceeding and eviction hearing to take ownership of the shopping center on Hempstead Avenue and evict the tenants. Taking ownership of the shopping center is essential to the library project going forward. The hearing is scheduled for Friday, May 6.

According to the school district, representatives of the library negotiated in good faith but an agreement with regard to the purchase price of the shopping center could not be reached.