SALISBURY — A timeline for moving the downtown branch of the Wicomico Public Library to the former Ward Museum became somewhat clearer during a recent County Council meeting.
The library is requesting $330,000 from the council because it is moving towards an “extended timeline” for designing and constructing its proposed renovations of the former museum at 909 S. Schumaker Drive in Salisbury.
Hershberger wrote in a letter to the council that after meeting with the manager of the Maryland State Library Agency’s Capital Grants program and architectural firm Davis, Bowen & Friedel, the library is looking to move design work up into fiscal year 2025 and extend the construction work back into fiscal year 2027.
But the council tabled a resolution on Aug. 20 that would have amended its FY25 budget to use the $330,000 of expected FY26 capital funding for the library, instead deciding to wait on the outcome of a possible grant from the state.
The building was the former home of the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, which closed following an HVAC failure at the facility in July 2022.
Hershberger said the $330,000 would allow them to complete initial designs, seek public feedback, receive county approval, and begin drafting construction documents before the beginning of the Capital Grant period, which would begin on July 1, 2025.
“Based on the timeline the need to move this forward is so that when we hope the grant is awarded, we then already have the plan in place, versus if we wait to fiscal (year) 2026 to start the plan and we then get awarded the grant, then we can’t start building until we actually have a place,” Director of Finance Pam Oland told the council. “So, the intention is to move the planning phase into 2025 so that if and hopefully when awarded the grant from the state, we then have the funding and a plan in place to go ahead and start moving forward, versus waiting and then having to do a plan at that time.”
Hershberger told the council during the August meeting that they are waiting to hear back from the state regarding a grant application of $3 million from the Maryland State Library Agency for phase one.
By June 2026, the front hall of the former Ward Museum could be completed, allowing the collections to move to the new site. The library will request another $3 million next year for phase two, in which all other public and administrative/system functions would move to the site.
“I hope to know with absolute certainty about the grant in about a month’s time,” Hershberger said. “That’s when — and our grant request has already cleared two major hurdles. The hurdles that I’ve been advised on are the biggest and most difficult ones, including the peer review process. Right now, it has already cleared out of the State Library Board as approved, and it has gone onto a higher level state board for approval by which time it’s usually a matter of formality.
“So, we’re hopeful that we’ll see full funding for our application.”
Hershberger told the council that the library had already received some federal funds that allowed them to take a closer look at the state of the building.
He said a mold study was completed that was not as bad as they were initially concerned. The mold is limited to certain areas that will be already either be demolished or renovated and the main HVAC unit is not operating but there are other sections where the HVAC works so they are running those to keep the humidity down.
The council is slated to vote on the resolution during its Sept. 17 legislative session.
Wicomico County resident Joe White told the council during the Aug. 20 public hearing that expediting the $330,000 is not a good plan.
“I think we’re stepping into something that’s going to cost these taxpayers more money than we realize,” White said. “And I’d like for you to consider not expediting this project. I’m not saying can it. I’m just saying don’t speed it up. I think that is going to cause us to run into an issue.”
Most Popular
Comments / 0