Ward One Councilman Seth Yurdin announced two positive developments for the future of the Fox Point Library branch. First, Councilman Yurdin has helped the library’s landlord, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence, obtain funds to install an elevator, making the building handicapped accessible for library and club patrons. Second, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence, as part of a long-term commitment to housing the library, has agreed to reduce the branch’s rent by nearly fifty percent.

“Both of these developments help ensure that our neighborhood library stays open for the benefit of the people of Fox Point,” said Yurdin. “The library serves as a center for community activity and a place where children can learn and grow in a safe environment.” Yurdin emphasized that the library serves visitors to the Fox Point Boys and Girls Club and students at nearby Vartan Gregorian Elementary School, as well as neighborhood residents.

Reducing the rent will help the Fox Point branch better deal with the financial problems that have beset the city’s library system. “Unfortunately, budget issues have forced libraries in Providence to make some very difficult choices,” said Yurdin. “Thanks to the agreement reached with the Boys and Girls Club, our local branch is in a stronger position to continue offering all the wonderful services residents have come to enjoy.”

The new elevator will be paid for with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. The councilman explained, “Installing a new elevator will have immediate benefits to this community, opening up the library and the club to people who haven’t been able to share in all that they have to offer.”   Yurdin specifically stressed how important the elevator is to elderly residents of Fox Point, as “many of our seniors lack transportation and have trouble getting around, so it is important that these resources are made accessible close to home.”

Robert P. Brooks, President of the Board of Governors of Boys and Girls Clubs of Providence, thanked Councilman Yurdin for his work in helping to direct the CDBG funds for the repair of the elevator at the Fox Point Boys and Girls Club.  “Boys and Girls Clubs of Providence is grateful to Councilman Yurdin for his support and assistance in helping to allocate the CDBG funds for the Fox Point Boys and Girls Club elevator project,” said Brooks.  “The repair of the elevator will allow for greater access to our facility for our Club members with disabilities, the seniors who use our building and in particular the patrons of the Fox Point Library Branch.  Councilman Yurdin was instrumental in bringing together Boys and Girls Clubs of Providence and representatives of the Providence Public Library to negotiate a new lease that we hope will enable the Fox Point Library Branch to stay in the Fox Point Boys and Girls Club.”