HOUSTON — A historic library nestled in the heart of Montrose reopened Monday after Houston leaders had a change of heart about closing it for good.
The Freed-Montrose Neighborhood Library abruptly closed last month, citing safety concerns.
After a lot of feedback from community members disappointed by the closure, Mayor John Whitmire said he asked the library administration to come up with a plan to safely re-open the cherished institution.
At Monday's reopening festivities, he promised to do what he can to save the treasured library.
"You can't replicate this, this is an icon, so I'm going to leave here this morning and go to work to see what can become of this great location,” he said.
When Houston Public Library announced the library on Montrose Boulevard near West Main Street would shut down permanently, the news caught a lot of people by surprise.
"We were very heartbroken," Lauren Vargas told us. She grew up coming to the library and now she brings her 2-year-old daughter to make new memories.
"It's a special place and even more special with my daughter,” Vargas said.
Councilmember Abby Kamin, who represents Montrose was also caught off-guard.
"I think we're all breathing a sigh of relief today,” Kamin said at the re-opening event. "The libraries here in Montrose at the heart of our urban core in a very active neighborhood mean everything to us."
Library officials say construction continues for a "better-equipped, more accessible" new library at a mixed-use shopping center on California Street near Montrose and Westheimer. Its delayed opening is now set for this fall.
"There's been a lot of community involvement and input in what that library looks like and the upgraded technology,” Kamin said.
However, the mayor shared doubts about the library’s future home, which he said was brokered by the previous administration.
“We have such a vision for this community with walkability, and then you’re abandoning a neighborhood library to go over on Westheimer commercial area, I just don’t get it,” he said.
While the library’s fate remains up in the air, both Kamin and Whitmire said they will continue to look for ways to preserve the iconic building.
Certain areas of the Freed-Montrose library will remain restricted for safety reasons, according to HPL.