Expansion Ahead for Havre de Grace Library

The Harford County Board of Estimates, which is responsible for awarding contracts, approved a contract recently for the design of a new Havre de Grace library.

The board signed off on a deal with architectural design firm Manns Woodward Studios on Aug. 8, according to Sherrie Johnson, spokeswoman for Harford County government.

Manns Woodward Studios has worked on projects like the Kingsville and Aberdeen fire departments.

A kickoff meeting about the Havre de Grace library project is scheduled for Aug. 22, Johnson said.

The $400,000 contract the architects signed to design the new Havre de Grace library spans approximately one year, with groundbreaking at Union and Pennington avenues slated for fall 2014, ExploreHarford.com reported.

The new design would mark the fourth iteration of the library's quarters.

The library in Havre de Grace began more than 50 years ago, housed in the old Opera House. In 1960, it moved into what is now the Havre de Grace Visitors Center.

The branch on Union at Pennington avenues was constructed in 1987, where it has remained ever since, according to the branch history.

The need for the 8,400-square-foot branch's expansion was supported by a study in 2009, ExploreHarford.com reported, noting that the new facility will be two stories and up to 15,000 square feet.

Johnson said that plans for the library are in the preliminary stages.