Howard County is one step closer to a new Central Branch library at the Columbia Lakefront.
County Executive Calvin Ball announced Thursday that he has filed legislation to move forward with purchasing land for the long sought-after library.
“With new progress on affordable housing and a much-needed Central Library at the Columbia Lakefront, we are building a Downtown that embodies innovation, connection and opportunity for all,” Ball said.
The legislation proposes the county buy land for the library from Howard Research and Development Corporation, a subsidiary of Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. The Howard County Council will review the plan in November.
The proposal also outlines a land transfer in the Merriweather District to the Howard County Housing Commission to build 900 affordable housing units. The Merriweather land was originally intended to host both the library and housing; moving the library elsewhere makes room for more than the original proposed 120 units.
“The inclusion of 900 affordable homes in the Columbia Downtown Housing Plan was a major step forward for the redevelopment of Columbia and the people of Howard County,” Jacqueline West-Spencer, board chair of the Howard County Housing Commission, said in a news release. “The creation of a Lakefront Library, which allows the Merriweather site to be fully dedicated to much-needed mixed-income housing, represents another significant milestone.”
The affordable housing plan is in line with requirements set out in the Downtown Columbia Development Rights and Responsibilities Agreement.
More than two years ago, Gov. Wes Moore joined Ball and other county officials on the Lakefront to unveil plans for a library that Moore called a “shining jewel” in the state. He praised the county for its dedication to education and public service, committing $10 million in state funding for the project that was supposed to break ground by 2026. The state funding was split, with $5 million placed into a special contingency fund and $5 million available for conceptual design.
But the project stalled as it drew criticism for its estimated $144 million pricetag, the bidding process and whether a new facility was needed. In fall 2023, the county hired design consulting firm Arcadis to conduct public meetings and a survey about the library, which determined that the Lakefront site and the existing central library were the preferred sites.
The county then hired the Maryland Economic Development Corporation in 2024 to gather data through a market study that aimed to better understand parking and potential sources of revenue to fund the project. The results of the study were needed to get a better picture of the funding gap that exists before it could be determined whether there was a clear path forward with the Lakefront site, Carl DeLorenzo, director of policy and programs for the county executive at the Howard County Government, said in April.
As the months passed, closing the budget gap, deciding where to put the library and parking held up the project. The county also didn’t own the Lakefront land, another roadblock.
The original designs for the “iconic” library were designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the same architect known for creating the “Vessel” in New York’s Hudson Yards. Howard Hughes paid for the preliminary illustrations to help portray the idea of what the building could look like, DeLorenzo said.
Howard Hughes previously said it would sell the land to the county, but the “premise of the time” was that the county would reimburse the company for the designs from Heatherwick, pay the company to build the library and pay for the construction of a parking garage that would serve the library and other properties owned by the company in the area, County Council Chair Liz Walsh said in March.
The Lakefront property is a “very complex” piece of land as a prime piece of real estate with existing parking spaces and other parking commitments, said Greg Fitchitt, executive vice president of government affairs and business development for Howard Hughes. Aside from the issue of replacing lost parking spots, Fitchitt said, Howard Hughes would only sell the land for the sake of a library similar to the “shining jewel” introduced in 2023.
“Those assurances would be part of the sale,” Fitchitt said during a May 16 county budget work session. “Again, having solutions for understanding how the parking is going to work, and also that we are going to be getting the iconic library, the community is going to be getting an iconic library that was envisioned.”
It was also the “spirit of the money” that the state’s $10 million gift would be used for a Lakefront library, DeLorenzo had said. Earlier this year, the council approved Ball’s request to remove the funding from contingency for the planning of the new library. As the council approved the county budget, Walsh set a deadline of Sept. 15 for the Lakefront land to be transferred to the county if the site was still to be used for the library.
While the land acquisition process progresses, the county will look to begin design of the new library in the winter while working to prepare a full budget for the project in the fiscal year 2027 capital budget. The current Central Branch will be demolished once the new library is complete, and the site will be used for housing. It’s estimated that 200 mixed-income units could be constructed, with half as affordable units.
“Downtown Columbia continues to grow as a vibrant and inclusive community that reflects Jim Rouse’s original vision of a ‘garden for growing people,’” Ball said. “Together, we are taking bold steps to make that vision a reality by ensuring that every child has access to a world-class education, every resident has the opportunity to thrive, and every neighbor can find a place to call home.
This story will be updated.
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