Less than two weeks before the start of hurricane season, the University of Puerto Rico’s Río Piedras campus announced Friday the start of a new phase of roof waterproofing at the José M. Lázaro Library. The announcement came after the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (CPI) reported that, since Hurricane María in 2017, leaks and mold had worsened in the building, leaving seven study rooms out of service.
Although campus rector Angélica Varela Llavona stated in a March circular that the work had begun on March 6, roof repairs did not begin until mid-May. The project has an estimated cost of $3,158,000.
“With the start of this work, we reaffirm our commitment to the recovery, preservation, and modernization of university facilities, ensuring safe and appropriate environments for teaching, research, and community service,” Varela Llavona said in a press release Friday.
This marks the second attempt to address the leaks at the library, the main one on campus, designed by German architect Henry Klumb and inaugurated in 1953. In 2021, the university announced the completion of temporary waterproofing work by Tropitech Inc. at a cost of $545,229.
The library sustained further damage after storms Fiona in September 2022 and Ernesto in August 2024, according to architects Mayra Jiménez Montano, special assistant for Infrastructure Affairs, and Jomarly Cruz Galarza, director of the campus Office of Planning and Physical Development. In 2024, asbestos materials detached from the roof in the Circulation and Reserve Collection area, triggering a mold outbreak in the books stored there. The issue was mitigated through regular cleanings by In-Viro Care, said Nancy Abreu Báez, director of the campus Library System, in a previous interview.
Following the CPI’s reporting, campus administrators met with library staff at the end of March to provide updates on the rehabilitation process — something that had not been done before, according to a staff member who requested anonymity. Last Tuesday, university officials posted a sign in front of the library announcing the start of repairs.
After the roof waterproofing — carried out by JC Remodeling, Inc. — the air conditioning systems will be replaced. Eventually, the interior of the library will be remodeled, with some spaces repurposed. These next two phases are currently being designed by architecture firm Hacedor: Maker/Arquitectos. The architects estimate that completing all phases of the library’s rehabilitation will take another three years.
Funding for this new phase comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Non-Federal Match Program, and CDBG-DR disaster recovery funds allocated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Since 2017, at least seven of the library’s 14 study areas and collections have remained closed: the Library Services for People with Disabilities, the Zenobia and Juan Ramón Jiménez Room, the Documents and Maps Room, the Film Library, the Library of Library and Information Sciences, part of the Caribbean Regional Library, and the Music Collection.
Although services from these collections are now offered in other spaces, their operations remain limited, as the CPI confirmed during visits in 2019 and earlier this year.
This story is part of a collaboration between the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo and Open Campus.
This translation was generated with the assistance of AI and thoroughly reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and clarity.
