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Officials unveil hope for Library Square
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(Courtesy photo)
New street lighting, benches and trash receptacles and landscaping are being planned for Library Square in Patterson Park. A largely inactive commercial district in Patterson Park will be revitalized into pedestrian-friendly retail, office and residential space, according to the Patterson Park Community Development Corporation. The four-block parcel, anchored by the Enoch Pratt Library and known as Library Square, is bordered by Linwood Avenue, Fayette Street and Pulaski Highway. “Library Square gives the neighborhood an excellent opportunity to create a successful retail and commercial district just north of Patterson Park,” said Ed Rutkowski, executive director of the PPCDC, in a released statement. “By successfully assembling these properties, we control a critical mass of space that will let us build long-term value and create a multiuse project serving the needs of varied audiences.” The PPCDC hopes the project will encourage neighboring businesses and residents to revitalize and improve their own property. To encourage that, grants and loans are being offered to property owners to improve building facades. So far, the Library Square project has received $1 million in grant money from the state of Maryland and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development with assistance from U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski and former U.S. Sen. Paul Sarbanes. “The economic impact will be tremendous,” said Bill Henry, director of commercial development for the PPCDC. “It will keep disposable income in the community and increase the Baltimore City’s tax base as property assessments go up.” Officials expect to have completed 6,000 square feet of office space, 8,000 square feet of ground floor retail space and a dozen new residential units including four, two-story artists live/work buildings by 2009. “It used to be that people were afraid to go past Fayette Street because of drug dealing,” said Tara Labofsky, a resident and past president of Neighbors of Library Square. “But with this project, the area will be safe for families and children and provide more dining and small business options for residents,” she said. During the summer, the PPCDC will begin a landscaping program to improve the aesthetics of the four-block parcel. Plans are to install new street lighting, benches and trash receptacles and to plant of trees, shrubbery and flower beds. |