Community Corner
$144M Proposed Library On Lake Meets Opposition From Some Howard County Residents
Some residents have spoken out against Howard County's proposed $144 million library slated for construction at Kittamaqundi Lake.
HOWARD COUNTY, MD — With a $144 million price tag attached to the proposed new library in Howard County at Kittamaqundi Lake, it's no surprise that residents are concerned.
“I think that the library is perfectly good as it is to the extent that it’s not the parking could be expanded, the building could be renovated for a fraction of the cost," Jake Brudett told WMAR.
The current proposal is to tear down the central library and rebuild it on the lakefront using money from the state, county and downtown Columbia; the majority of the project's funding is $80 million coming from the estimated increase in tax revenue for downtown Columbia.
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The library will be built on land provided by The Howard Hughes Corp., which serves as Downtown Columbia’s community developer. Howard Hughes is also providing the land for the affordable housing units, as called for in the Downtown Columbia Plan.
Tonya Aikens, the president and CEO of Howard County libraries, looks at it as an investment in education.
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“The public library is public education for all, right? And we do a ton of collaboration with our school system," Aikens told WMAR. "This project is supported by not only our superintendent but the head of our community college."
The new Lakefront Library will provide more room for classes for all ages, Project Literacy and workforce development initiatives, equity initiatives and more. The 100,000 square-foot structure has been designed by Heatherwick Studio, an internationally recognized firm that created the landmark “Vessel” public art structure in New York City and other distinctive buildings throughout the world.
The prior location of the replacement library site, in what is known as Columbia’s Merriweather District, is now planned to contain at least 240 units of mixed-income housing, twice the number as originally called for in the Downtown Columbia Plan.
Jen Blando, a Howard County resident, has embraced the proposed plan, she told WMAR.
“I’m really excited about having a really amazing library in downtown Columbia," Blando said.
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