DEMANDING A FREESTANDING LIBRARY IN THEIR COMMUNITY.

BRANDIS?

>> RIGHT, PARIS.

THERE IS A FIGHT BREWING OVER A NEW PUBLIC LIBRARY IN THE BACK OF NEWARK NEIGHBORHOOD.

FROM NEIGHBORS ARE PUSHING BACK ON A PROPOSAL THAT WOULD INCORPORATE THE LIBRARY INTO A PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS.

JOANNA HERNANDEZ TELLS MORE.

>> Reporter: THIS IS WHERE THE ONLY LIBRARY IN THE BACK OF THE YARDS NEIGHBORHOOD IS LOCATED .

FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS, THE LOCAL LIBRARY HAS ISSUED A SPACE WITH THE BACK OF THE YARDS COLLEGE PREP ACADEMY GOOD >> I WAS A YOUTH MYSELF GROWING UP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

ACCESSIBILITY WAS A REALLY BIG THING FOR ME, TOO, BECAUSE THERE WAS THAT GAP BETWEEN, LIKE, 2011, 2013, WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, THERE WASN'T A LIBRARY IN THE COMMUNITY .

>> Reporter: JORGE IS ONE OF MULTIPLE RESIDENTS WHOSE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR A FREESTANDING LIBRARY.

OVER THE YEARS, LOCALS HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERNS OVER THE LACK OF ACCESS THEY HAVE TO THE CURRENT BRANCH.

SOME RESIDENTS SAY THE LOCATION AND LACK OF AMENITIES, SUCH AS PARKING, HAS MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE ELDERLY TO USE.

OTHERS STUDENTS ARE RESTRICTED FROM USING THE LIBRARY DURING SCHOOL HOURS.

THERE >> Reporter: CONSUELA MARTINEZ, ALONG WITH OTHER PARENTS FIGHTING FOR A LIBRARY.

SECURED $50 MILLION IN STATE FUNDING TO HELP BUILD AN INDEPENDENT LIBRARY.

TWO YEARS LATER, CITY OFFICIALS HAVEN'T FINALIZED A LOCATION.

>> AND NOW, ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE CITIES THROWING UP THE BALL ON THIS PAST SUMMER, THEY SAID THEY'RE THINKING OF HAVING A POLL LOCATION.

SO ONCE AGAIN, THEY WANT US TO SHARE SPACE.

>> Reporter: JEANETTE TALKING ABOUT HER NEW DEVELOPMENT COMING TO 46 IN ASHLAND .

THE PROJECT IS SET TO BRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING , A PERFORMING ARTS THEATER, AND THE NEW HEADQUARTERS FOR THE BACK OF THE YARDS NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL.

THE ORGANIZATION MIGHT BE PRESIDENT/CO-SHARING THE SPACE WILL ONLY BENEFIT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

>> SOME PEOPLE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE STREET WON'T TRAVEL MUCH FURTHER BEYOND THE NORTH SIDE OF THE STREET TO GET TO THE LIBRARY.

UNFORTUNATELY, AND I HATE TO SAY IT, BECAUSE I'M TALKING ABOUT MY OWN COMMUNITY.

IT'S NOT NECESSARILY SAFE.

THE STATE IS THE NUMBER ONE CONCERN.

>> Reporter: CHICO SAYS HIS OWN PROPOSAL IS A CENTRAL LOCATION FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND LATINO POPULATIONS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

>> THIS IS A WALKWAY, SO ALL FOUR SIDES OF THIS LIBRARY, THEY CAN DEFINE IT ANYWAY THEY WANT IT ENTRY, AND EGRESS.

AND HE WAS THAT THEY WANT.

ASHLAND EXPOSER.

THIS IS THEIR OWN PRIVATE DECK .

SO THERE'S GOING TO BE ALL THIS SPACE.

RIGHT NOW, IT'S ABOUT DOUBLE THIS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.

>> Reporter: CHICO'S PROPOSAL DOES NOT ADDRESS CONCERNS THEY HAVE REGARDING PARKING, SECURITY , AND THE LIBRARY SPACE REQUIREMENTS.

>> SO FAR, HE HAS ONLY GIVEN US A PLAN THAT SHOWS A SPACE OF UNDER 10,000 FEET, AND THE CITY PROMISED US THEY WE WERE GOING TO GET 60,000 SQUARE FEET.

>> Reporter: THERE'S BEEN COMMUNITY MEETINGS SURROUNDING THE NEW LIBRARY.

CHICO SAID, FINANCIALLY, THE PROPOSED LOCATION WILL BRING THE LIBRARY FASTER TO THE COMMUNITY.

>> THE LAST FEW LIBRARIES BUILT IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO HAS BEEN BILLED AS PART OF MIXED USED IT DEVELOP, AND THEY'VE BEEN THRIVING.

>> Reporter: WHY THE COMMUNITY CAN HAVE BOTH, ABLE TO USE AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPER, AND EXTENDING LOCAL LIBRARY.

>> WHEN PEOPLE ARE COMING TO YOU WITH SOLUTIONS, WHY IS IT SO HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THESE ARE REAL CONCERNS?

WHY IS IT SO HARD TO BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO SAFEGUARD THE NEUTRALITY OF A STANDALONE LIBRARY ?

>> Reporter: FOR CHICAGO TONIGHT, I'M JOANNA HERNANDEZ.

>> AND WE REACHED OUT TO PATRICK MALLOY, DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS FOR THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY.

IN A STATEMENT, HE SAYS THE CITY HOSTED A VARIETY OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND