It has been over two years since groundwater flooded the Uniondale Public Library’s auditorium, also known as the theater, forcing the space to close. Now the library board is taking another step toward restoring it, with a $32,787 Community Revitalization Project grant secured by Nassau County Legislator Olena Nicks for new flooring and seating.
Nicks, who represents Uniondale, served on the library’s board of trustees for seven years before she was elected to the Legislature in 2025, succeeding now State Sen. Siela Bynoe.
“As a former Uniondale Library trustee, I know personally how the auditorium is a critical space for the library’s programs that serve our neighbors throughout the year, and it is essential for this space to be optimally equipped for our community,” Nicks said in a July 27 news release.
The basement auditorium flooded in April 2024, when groundwater rose high enough to reach the third row of seats, according to Library Director Mara Marin. Water covered the stage, reached an emergency exit and seeped into the green room.
“It was really a huge surprise,” Marin said. “We didn’t have any rain in those days — before, at that time, we had a dry period.”
The flooding forced the library to remove carpeting, sheetrock, the stage and other materials damaged by water. The restoration service Servpro pumped water from the auditorium around the clock for weeks before groundwater levels gradually receded.
Although some equipment, curtains and seating were salvaged, the auditorium remains stripped down to its concrete floor while the library prepares for the next phase of repairs.
This month, programs returned to the basement.
Before beginning renovations, the library hired Walden Associates, a architectural consulting service located in Oyster Bay, to conduct a yearlong study of groundwater conditions. The board didn’t want flooding to occur again after the auditorium was restored. The firm monitored water table elevations and determined that permanent flood mitigation measures would be needed before reconstruction could begin.
“The whole point is that we didn’t want to rush with the remodeling of the theater,” Marin said. “Because we want to take care of the water and prevent it from happening in the future.”
The library plans to install an automatic pump system in the auditorium. Because the project is expected to require significant structural work, Marin said that the new flooring and seating funded by the county grant would likely be installed last.
The flooding also set off a domino effect throughout the building. Groundwater damaged the elevator shaft, worsening years of recurring mechanical failures and limiting access to the library’s lower level. Staff shifted programs, board meetings and other activities to the main floor, Marin said, allowing the facility to continue serving patrons while the auditorium remained closed.
For four months, monthly board meetings were held in the library’s cafe, which has also hosted concerts since the flooding. Ilgar Guo, head of adult programing, who schedules the concerts, has expressed her disappointment with the cafe’s limited space for patrons. The auditorium hold 175 people, and only about 40 people can sit in the cafe.
But, Marin said, the temporary did come with an unexpected benefit. “It kind of was funny because the cafe area is actually lovely,” she said. “We have windows, we have daylight there.”
But at the same time, it was a big shift. “After the pandemic, everyone learned how to — we like to call it ‘pivot again,’” Marin said.
The closure also raised concerns among some patrons that fewer visitors would see the library’s art exhibits, because concerts in the theater drew larger crowds. Marin said that attendance rebounded once the elevator reopened and programs returned downstairs, and she didn’t believe the art exhibitions was affected after the flood.
Just the same, she said, the funding is an important milestone. “We are nevertheless grateful for these funds, because she specifically had them for the flooring and seating,” Marin said, referring to Nicks. “So that’s definitely something that we know that we have the funds to cover.”
