Poets House, which was brought to BPC by the authority in 2004, will close indefinitely due to the pandemic. The organization announced that it will “suspend operations indefinitely, effective immediately, due to budgetary issues caused by the Coronavirus.”

They added that the library might be able reopen late in 2021 once the pandemic is under control and Poets House has reconfigured its operations.

In addition, its longtime executive director, Lee Briccetti, and managing director, Jane Preston, are retiring.

“The Board took these measures in order to withstand what we all are facing and ensure that the organization and its collections survive,” said the board chair, Robert Kissane.

Until now, the organization was able to keep its staff at full salaries and benefits. But emergency funds have dwindled and it will use its reserves to pay severance and vacation pay.

Poets House has a world-class poetry library of 70,000 books that is free and open to the public. When it reopens, its emphasis is expected to be on core library services.

Their last program left what I hope is a permanent installation through out Battery Park City.