Governor George Pataki Wednesday announced $5 million in funding to restore the historic façade of the New York Public Library, located at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street in New York City. The funding is in addition to the $12 million previously provided by the State.

The NYPL at 42nd Street is in need of restoration, repair and cleaning to the marble façades and roof due to years of weathering and acid rain. The deterioration of the building has reached such extensive erosion it now has the potential for leaks and falling pieces of stone. The project will also include inspections, removal and replacement of all worn mortar; restoration of ornamentation and statuary repair; removal of gypsum crusts and soiling; resurfacing stone; replacement of deteriorated stone brackets and dentils.

Another component of the project is to renovate the Dorot Jewish Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences Library. The Humanities and Social Sciences Library is just one of the four Research Libraries and 86 Branch Libraries that comprise the entire New York Public Library System, which sees over 15 million visitors a year.

The NYPL intends to restore the building’s façade by their centennial celebration in 2011 to revive the majestic structure of the building’s exterior and prepare it for the next century of public service.