Updates from the Smithtown Building

Due to the storm that occurred during the early morning hours of August 19, which caused torrential flooding, our Smithtown Building suffered catastrophic damage to its lower level. Therefore, until further notice, our Smithtown Building will be closed while we continue to assess the damage and begin to rebuild.  Our other three buildings remain open to assist our patrons.

We would like to thank the following individuals and businesses for their tremendous support through this process Senator Mario Mattera, Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick, Smithtown Supervisor Edward Wehrheim, Smithtown Councilman Thomas J. McCarthy, Smithtown Councilman Thomas W. Lohmann, Smithtown Superintendent of Highways Robert Murphy and the Smithtown Fire Department.

Several local news outlets captured the aftermath of this event as it unfolded.  We’ve provided those articles and a video for you here.  

Newsday Article - August 22, 2024 - courtesy Newsday

The Smithtown News Article - August 22, 2024 - courtesy The Smithtown News

Newsday Video - courtesy Newsday

MONTHLY UPDATES

We are happy to announce that patrons now have access to the second level at our Smithtown Building. The elevator is finally operational and has been inspected by the fire marshal.
Large pumps have been installed in the stairwells on both the east and west sides of the building as part of mitigation measures. Also, a 2' high wall has been completed at the east side of the building, preventing any water from entering the stairwell.

Work continued through the month of August on the elevator.   We are hoping all the necessary work and inspections will be done shortly.

In mid-August, remediation work began on the east side of the building to increase the height of the retaining wall.  This is will help manage drainage in the future. 

We continue to be able to serve our patrons at the Smithtown Building, even though services are still limited. 

The elevator work at our Smithtown Building continues and is progressing every day.

The Smithtown Building experienced increased patron visits throughout the month of June. 

On June 24, a Community Open House was held to discuss the Bond Referendum Vote, where attendees had the opportunity to meet with members of the architectural team, Library Administration and Board of Trustees.

Elevator work began at the end of the month and will continue into July.

On Monday, May 5, the first floor of our Smithtown Building finally reopened to the public after a nine month closure. 
 

Many thanks to Smithtown Supervisor Edward Wehrheim, Congressman Nick LaLota along with aid Nick Cipolla who provided a proclamation to the Library, Smithtown Councilman Thomas J. McCarthy, Smithtown Councilman Thomas W. Lohmann, Smithtown Superintendent of Highways Robert Murphy, Councilwoman Lynne Nowick, Senator Mario Mattera along with Robert Caroppoli, Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick, the Smithtown Fire Department, our Board of Trustees, the Friends of The Smithtown Library and so many more for all of their support throughout the past several months as well as with our reopening on Monday.

We are so happy to reopen our Smithtown Building to our community and hope you stop by for a visit soon if you haven't already!

The month of April was spent preparing the building for reopening.  

Final touches were put on the HVAC system and electrical wiring was completed.   Our IT Department completed all the needed wiring and set up to restore our phone and internet services. 

The building was thoroughly cleaned by our custodial staff and the Library has the carpets professionally cleaned. 

A storage container was delivered to the Smithtown Building in preparation of opening the main level.  The storage unit will house many items that were normally stored in the basement.   

The temporary heating has been removed in order to prepare for permanent heating.  Once the temporary heating equipment was removed, all the doors and windows that were removed to accommodate the equipment have been reinstalled. 

The electricity has been restored throughout the Building and the Library is no longer using portable generators.  The Building also now has running water and the fire alarm system has been installed and programmed.

Our Board of Trustees were able to take a tour of the lower level to see the progress that has been made and discuss future plans.

We continue to receive the necessary equipment needed to repair and replace our electrical and HVAC systems.   Many of our wall units throughout the building have been replaced.

Over the past month, all the flooded equipment was removed from the boiler room in the basement in preparation of a new system to be installed.  We have completed removing the wiring from the basement, while maintaining the upstairs wiring.  This task was time consuming since the wiring was run together for all 3 floors.  

We were able to install flooring in the new IT room which will allow for an IT cabinet to be placed inside the room.  Once we have electricity in the building, we will be able to start restoring our IT services in their permanent locations.  
 

A temporary utility pole was installed by PSEG and our electricians, along with a breaker box to supply the Smithtown Building with temporary power and lighting. Once we had electricity, temporary heating units were able to be set up on the patio to heat the space and keep the water lines from freezing.

Temporary walls and doors have been constructed at each stairwell inside the building to separate the basement from the main floor.   The sump pumps that were damaged from mud have been replaced.  We are in the process of removing any wiring in the basement that got cut or wet during the flood. A new IT room has been constructed so that we can begin the process of restoring the internet and phones.  
 

At the end of October, the clean up at the Smithtown Building was completed.  These photos show the basement in its current condition.  

Update 5/20/2025