The new building that will replace the Brooklyn Heights Public Library branch in downtown Brooklyn might end up looking exactly like the Flatiron building in Manhattan. According to plans unveiled by Marvel Architects, the new building will have 36 stories that will include “139 condo units, a community space, retail space, and a new 21,500 square-foot library.”

According to the Daily News, which offered exclusive photos from the architect of the new plans on Tuesday, the sale of the land to developer Hudson Companies will help to create a state-of-the-art library on the ground floor and provide funds to other branch libraries.

The new library will be a flagship for northwest Brooklyn, offering new collections, technology, and extensive programs, a spokeswoman said.

Library officials hope that the cash infusion will also put a dent in the $300 million they need for repairs across 60 branches. Four branches, including the Walt Whitman Library on St. Edwards St., have already been selected to recieve some of the funds.

Michael D. D. White, co-founder of Citizens Defending Libraries who is quoted in the Daily News article is concerned that the new space will be smaller than the current library branch and that “it’s a mistake to put it at the bottom of a residential building, since it won’t be able to grow with the neighborhood.”

Members of Citizens Defending Libraries attend the Community Board 2 Land Use Committee Hearing yesterday at 6pm (and live-tweeted the hearing) where the sale of the Brooklyn Heights Branch was discussed. In a blog post on the Citizens Defending Libraries website, the group explained that this public meeting is important since there wasn’t a meeting open to the public to discuss the Donnell Library sale in Manhattan a couple years ago.