Cranford Library Breaks Ground On Children’s Room Expansion Project
State Reps, Township & Board Partner to Make Project a Reality
The Cranford Public Library has formally broken ground on the new Children’s Room. On March 3, 2025, Township Commissioner and Mayor’s Designee to the Library Board of Trustees Brian Andrews, along with Senate President Nicholas Scutari (LD-22), Assemblywoman Linda Carter (LD-22), Mayor Terrence Curran, Library Director Kathy Cannarozzi, Library Board of Trustees President Susan Burke and members of the Library Board of Trustees put golden shovels to the ground to kick off the expansion project for the Children’s Room.
“This is a multi-million dollar project that is going to benefit the whole library, which is really a cornerstone in our community,” Commissioner Andrews said during the groundbreaking ceremony. “We were very fortunate to have leaders in our community, Nick Scutari, our New Jersey State Senate President, and his colleagues, Assemblywoman Linda Carter and Assemblyman James Kennedy, who recognized how important a project like this is for Cranford and our community.” Funding for the expansion was made possible in part from financial support from the State of New Jersey, as well as funding from the Township of Cranford and the Library Board of Trustees.
“Senate President Nick Scutari has really been a big supporter of Cranford. We’re really excited about this renovation to the Children’s Room, and we’re moving forward just in time for spring,” said Mayor Curran.
“Thank you to all the volunteers and to the library board for all the efforts and the volunteerism that you do for this community,” Senator Scutari said. “I haven’t represented Cranford for all that long a period of time, but I had a great interest in taking Cranford on when we redistricted because I grew up right next door in Linden. Cranford is such a lovely town, I wanted to be able to be involved.”
“Projects like this are very important for our community, to really let our community know that we are investing in them,” said Assemblywoman Carter. “I was really happy to be able to partner with my colleagues, Assemblyman Kennedy and Senate President Nick Scutari, to be able to push forward to help you all with the funding.”
“The Library Board of Trustees is appreciative of the State of New Jersey and the Township of Cranford support to make this renovation a reality. We’ve been talking about this and dreaming about this for more than 10 years,” said Ms. Burke, president of The Library Board of Trustees. She also recognized the late Pat Pavlak, the previous president of the Library Board of Trustees. “Pat drove this project forward for many years, and I know she would be very happy to see this happening today,” said Ms. Burke.
“When I came here in May of 2023, within 30 days I was told, ‘We’ve got funding for the Children’s Room construction!’ There’s no greater gift to give someone when they come in because it means the Township and the people of Cranford care about this library,” Library Director Ms. Cannarozzi said.
This new space will provide more room for reading, learning, and children’s imaginations to grow. Stay tuned for updates as Cranford builds a brighter future for our young readers. Read more about the updates on the Library website at https://www.cranfordlibrary.org/library-expansion.
Temporarily, the Children’s Room has relocated to the Cranford Community Center, next door, and will be open during regular Library hours, including Sundays. During construction, additional parking will be provided at the Methodist Church parking lot.