Rep. Richie Torres helps secure $700,000 to renovate Hostos Community College library

U.S. Rep. Richie Torres helped secure $700,000 to renovate the library at Hostos Community College, speakers announced at an on-campus event in the Bronx.

Organizer remarks said the funding will support the first renovation of the facility since the 1990s and is intended to improve student access to study space and learning resources for more than 6,000 students who use the college’s services.

Event speakers framed the project as a response to broader concerns about literacy and opportunity. They said national and local indicators show significant reading and educational attainment challenges and argued upgraded library space can promote a stronger reading culture on campus.

Tyler Woods, student government president at Hostos, described long-standing problems with the library’s condition and said students have been pressing for improvements. "Being able to see this library being renovated and something top of the line ... that's something a lot of students have been looking forward to," Woods said, adding that the renovation should attract students who currently do not use the facility.

Organizers and presenters at the event provided enrollment context for Hostos, reporting typical fall enrollments of roughly 5,500 to over 7,000 students and noting that many are first-generation college attendees from Bronx households. Speakers also said a majority of students come from families earning less than $30,000, a demographic detail offered to underline the project's equity implications.

Project timeline details announced at the event indicate work is scheduled to begin in the fall of this year, with an expected reopening in the fall of 2028. The event did not specify a contractor, a full funding breakdown, or any regulatory approvals required to begin construction.

Reporting for BronxNet, Kyrie Moody.