WEST HAVEN — A new library may finally be coming to the Allingtown section, which hasn’t had a library branch of its own since the Louis Piantino Branch Library on Forest Road closed in 2020.
The Village Improvement Association, which owns the West Haven Public Library, has signed a letter of intent to purchase property between Route 1 and Newbern Street near Fairfax Street and is working to obtain construction funding, officials said this week.
The proposed location is at 703 Boston Post Rd. and 89 Newbern St., just east of Fairfax Street and between the Kabul Halal Grocery and the trucking terminal at 691 Boston Post Rd.
While the library still is doing due diligence on the potential new location, according to library Executive Director Colleen Bailie, an application to locate the library there won unanimous approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission this week.
Library officials appeared before the commission Tuesday night.
Buying the property will cost about $1 million, which the library already has by virtue of a Covid-era American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, grant, Bailie said. The library doesn't have a figure yet on how much it will cost to build the new branch, but expects to be able to obtain a grant to help from the Connecticut State Library, in addition to seeking private funds, she said.
The library has not gone to the city yet for funding but is hoping for its support, Bailie said.
"I would love to see the city assist, as well ... but we do also know that there are other projects," Bailie said.
The proposed location is the latest in a number of possible locations the library has explored since closing up on Forest Road after developer David Beckerman bought the former library property in 2026.
Others have included the former CVS store on Route 1 east of Campbell Avenue and Forest Road, the former Blake Administration Building on Ogden Street just a couple of blocks from the location now being looked at — although that later was approved for 20 apartments — and property directly across Route 1 that the library previously purchased, which would require blasting to develop.
Bailie told the PZC that the old Allingtown branch library at 1 Forest Rd. was "already in too small a space," and while a new branch library would serve Allingtown, it also would provide much-needed additional space for the main library at Campbell Avenue and Elm Street, which also is too small.
In addition to shelving books, "more and more people are also coming to the library to use it for study space," Bailie said. Plus, "we've never had a teen space ... We want to make sure we have a space for them."
The main library actually is about half the size a city of 55,000 such as West Haven should have, Bailie said. The only other branch library in West Haven is the Ora Mason Library at 260 Benham Hill Road on the West Shore.
Because there is not a direct bus down Campbell Avenue, Allingtown library users who don't have vehicles currently need to take a bus into downtown New Haven in order to get to the main library, she said.
Mayor Dorinda Borer said she's pleased to see things begin to move forward for an Allingtown branch library.
"The Library Board has been searching for a location to expand in Allingtown for quite some time, and it looks like they may have found the sweet spot," Borer said.
"They have always served as a corner stone to our community and now an expansion along with the new Book Mobile they purchased will provide additional space that fosters learning, a place for families to connect, study space, technology access and so much more," Borer said.
The zoning approval also came as good news to a couple of the city's state representatives, one of whom, state Rep. William Heffernan, D-115, is a member of the library board and was present at the PZC meeting.
"The VIA has been scrambling to find a suitable location for a new Allingtown Library since 2020 when the city sold 1 Forest Road out from under us," Heffernan said. "Although 703 Boston Post Road appeared to be too small at first glance, once we were made aware of the adjoining property on Newbern Street, it checked off all of the boxes we needed," he said.
"With the support of Ken Carney and the ARPA committee we should be able to acquire both parcels and start moving in the proper direction," Heffernan said.
State Rep. Treneé McGee, D-116, whose district includes the proposed new site, said Allingtown residents "want a library in the community. I think it would be wonderful to bring Allingtown’s library back to the community," she said.
"Costs must be considered," but "the VIA has the money to purchase the property and the project is slated to begin Spring 2027, so finances will certainly be discussed prior to that of course," McGee said. "However, with the understanding that libraries are a great resource for families, I’m optimistic that the community support for the library will be there."