SALISBURY, MD - The Maryland Board of Public Works has approved funding for multiple library projects including the conversion of the former Ward Museum in Salisbury to a new Wicomico County public library.
Maryland officials say a grant of $2,943,000 will go towards renovating and converting the 33,400-square foot former Ward Museum into a library. The new library is slated to replace the Paul S. Sarbanes Branch in downtown Salisbury.
The grant is the largest of those awarded through the Maryland State Library Agency’s County Capital Grant Program this week.
“It is absolutely critical that we continue to invest in our local infrastructure, and our public library systems and the communities they serve are very much included in that," Maryland Governor Wes Moore said. "So, we are excited about this investment: What does it mean not just for now, but what does it mean for the future?”
According to Maryland officials, Wicomico County is providing $866,000 in matching funds, bringing the initial funding for the new library close to $4 million.
The former Ward Museum has sat vacant after ongoing HVAC issues that partly contributed to the museum moving out of the building.
Meanwhile, Wicomico County’s Paul S. Sarbanes Branch Library is slated to be converted into Salisbury University’s new downtown performing arts center.
“[The new library] will replace the existing Paul S. Sarbanes Branch in downtown Salisbury, which, as a result of aging infrastructure, a grim exterior, spatial inefficiencies, and lack of dedicated parking, struggles to function as an inviting, accessible, modern library,” the Maryland State Library Agency said in a press release.
In addition to the grants for Wicomico County’s new library, state officials also announced $242,000 in funding to replace the Pocomoke Branch of Worcester County Library. Worcester County is providing $242,000 in matching funds, officials say.