Frequently Asked Questions

• Replacing the current library with a new, larger library has always been a part of the Downtown Columbia Plan since it was unanimously adopted by the County Council in 2010.
• The current Central Library was built in 1981 and is only 50,000 square feet. It is undersized for the current community, does not offer many of the rooms and spaces available in other branches, and able to accommodate only a fraction of the programming and space needs that the community demands.
• At 100,00 sq. ft., the new Lakefront Library will meet the vision and anticipated population growth called for in the Downtown Columbia Plan.

Minor interior alterations were completed in 2016 at a cost of $1.8M. Due to the pending development, renovations were minimal and addressed structural, end-of-life, interim fixes and enhancements to address customer needs (e.g., new paint, new carpet). It also transformed space formerly used by administrative staff into public space.

Yes! The number of items borrowed, visits to library branches, and attendance at classes continues to increase by double digits to pre-pandemic levels. As noted above, the current Central Library is too small not only for the existing population but also for the anticipated population growth. It has inadequate space for young children and their parents and nearly non-existent space for teens.

Howard County Library System users are visiting library systems in other counties including Carroll County’s Exploration Commons (that features a literacy kitchen and large makerspace) and Baltimore County’s Storyville locations (featuring early child development immersion educational areas). 

The Lakefront Library & Merriweather Affordable Housing plan builds on the foundation of the original Development Rights and Responsibilities Agreement (DRRA), while still adhering to its requirements. This approach comprises three parcels: the Lakefront site, the Merriweather District site, and the current Central Library Branch site.

Howard Hughes Corporation will provide at no cost to the County, the two sites in exchange for the current library site to develop in the future, after the new Lakefront Library is completed.

The current library site has been slated for demolition as part of the Downtown Columbia plan (adopted in 2010 and updated in 2016), which recommended that a new library be built in Columbia’s new Downtown. Symphony Woods Road and Little Patuxent Parkway will be realigned through the existing library site, as shown in the Downtown Columbia Plan, and the residual land will be retained by Howard Hughes for future development.

Download the map of the existing site and changes as outlined in the Downtown Columbia Plan and DRRA.

Yes. Once the new library is built, the current Central Branch will be demolished, according to the Downtown Columbia Plan.  

In total, the entire project cost approximately $143 million.

• The Library building: $94M
• Site work and public parking: $38.5M
• Area and transportation improvements: $10.3M

The funding of this project comprises several sources over the next four fiscal years (FY24-27).

• $6M of library specific State grants to be pursued by the library in the upcoming fiscal years.
• $10Mto be funded by philanthropy dollars.
• $20Mto be funded by the State of Maryland, marking unprecedented State funding and support of libraries in Howard County. Governor Moore is fully committed to this project.
• $26Mto be supported through General Obligation (GO) Bonds from the County’s budget. This is a third less than the original County commitment of the Central Library’s GO Bond Funding, when it was to be situated at the Merriweather site last year, which called for $35M in GO Bonds. The County Executive’s Administration deemed $80 million to be the conservative amount that the TIF revenue model could support for this project. 
• $80Mof funding from the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) generated from the Downtown Columbia Tax Development Increment. This was always the intended use of this funding – the creation of public spaces, transit improvements, parks, and parking from the revenue generated by the area’s development.
• $350,000 in County Planning Dollars, from the Downtown Columbia Permanent Public Improvement Fund paid into by Howard Hughes.
• $600,000 in contribution from Howard Hughes Corporation for Design Concepting
• $250,000 left of the $488,000 budget of Permanent Public Improvement Fund, allocated in the prior fiscal year.

Using Tax Increment Financing (TIF), the Howard County Council unanimously dedicated future incremental property tax revenues generated within a defined area or district toward an economic development project or public improvement project in the community. TIF revenues are not appropriated directly from the County’s budget but come out of the new development constructed in the TIF district.

In short, this project is in line with the intended use of the TIF funding which is to provide funding for the creation of public spaces, transit improvements, parks, and parking from the revenue generated by the area’s development.

The mix of funding sources proposed above will not require a tax increase for residents.

This library replacement has been proposed for the budget for years. Using TIF funds for the bulk of the budget has always been their intended use. Using the TIF in the way it was intended, along with funds from the State and private sources, requires less County funding than when the library was in the Merriweather District.

According to the Development Rights and Responsibilities Agreement (DRRA) adopted by the County Council in 2016, the revenue is committed for public projects in the Downtown Columbia area, including the new library.

The school system’s capital budget requests are funded by other County revenue sources. Their FY24 request was fully funded in the County Executive’s capital budget.

As the landowner and Community Developer (as designated in the Downtown Columbia Plan unanimously adopted by the County Council in 2010), Howard Hughes is committed to an open bidding process for the design and construction.

For procuring the design and construction of the new branch, a procurement selection committee will include representatives from the County, HCLS, and the Community Developer. Both the design and construction contracts will be bid and will follow the same procedures and requirements that were agreed to between the County and the Community Developer for the Merriweather District infrastructure.

The County intends to enter into a sole source contract with the land owner and master developer, HRD, who will execute the contracts with the chosen consultants and contractors. 

All consultants and contractors will conduct their work in compliance with all applicable County laws and regulations, including but not limited to all wage rates, MBE/WBE and local contractor requirements. 

The Lakefront Library is comparable to other Maryland public libraries when adjusted for inflation, as noted in this chart.

Preliminary ideas from pre-pandemic dream sessions with the community and staff include the following:

• More space for classes for all ages in order to decrease or eliminate waitlists
• Expanded classroom and tutoring space for Project Literacy and workforce development initiatives
• A literacy kitchen that builds on the success of similar kitchens in other libraries across the country
• A dedicated space for teens
• A makerspace for all, including makers, small business owners, and entrepreneurs
• Community work and meeting spaces
• Flexible space for collaboration and community building
• Expand existing and successful special collections such as art, DIY and more

The lakefront site is the most important and valuable undeveloped site in Howard County. The project team listened to the County Council and other stakeholders who clearly articulated the community deserves the best spaces. Upon reevaluating all the options, it became abundantly clear that the best place for this project would be at the lakefront.

From the earliest beginning of Jim Rouse’s vision for Columbia, the lakefront served as the heartbeat of the community. By placing the Exhibit Center and later the Rouse Company headquarters at the lakefront, both designed by world renowned architect Frank Gehry, Rouse signaled the importance of this amenity.

Generations of children have grown up knowing the lakefront as a place to gather for Fourth of July fireworks, festivals, outdoor movies and music, fishing, bike riding, and otherwise enjoying time with family, friends, and nature. By placing the new Lakefront Library at the lakefront, Howard County will once again recognize the importance of a place that is welcoming to all in the environment that has historically represented those values.

The relocation of the library to the to the lakefront site also frees the Merriweather site to be developed by the Howard County Housing Commission with a mixed income project as envisioned by the Downtown Columbia Plan, providing for more affordable housing, sooner.

Current renderings include green space on the roof and terraces.

At no cost to the County, Howard Hughes Corporation, the current property owner, will transfer the land to Howard County. The County will own and maintain the building, as it does for all other library buildings. Howard County Library System will operate it.

The County’s Department of Public Works maintains all the grounds owned by the County, which includes Howard County Library System branches. 

According to the Maryland State Library Agency, the Maryland Department of Budget and Management requires that libraries refer to Maryland’s planning guidelines (for square footage and number of items per capita) in order to justify and document the need for expansion. One SF per capita is a universal minimum based on increased space requirements for technology and training programs.  

PLANNING GUIDELINES FOR SQUARE FOOTAGE PER CAPITA  

Essential = 1 SF
Enhanced = 1.1 SF
Exemplary = 1.2 SF  

Howard County Library System’s current systemwide square footage is 238,000 SF. In consideration of the MSLA guidelines, our 2019 Facilities Master Plan update analyzed existing square footage along with current and projected population to arrive at the proposed 100,000 sq ft downtown branch. 

The building will comply with ADA requirements. People will not need to climb stairs to access any part of the building. 

The building will be built to at least LEED Silver requirements and comply with Howard County’s Bird Friendly Design Standards. 

It is too soon to tell. If the County Council approves moving forward with this project, the planning and design phase will begin. Once a local architect of record is selected through the procurement process, they will evaluate the site and begin turning the concept drawings into buildable plans. 

In 2019, we conducted a community survey and held several community charrettes to help update our Facilities Master Plan. You can read more about the process here: https://hclibrary.org/about-us/future-focus/. Additionally, Thomas Heatherwick and members of his team came to Howard County to visit our branches and meet with Tonya Aikens (at Howard Hughes’ expense); they also met with her virtually.  

The amount of staffing varies according to several factors. Buildings with clear sightlines often require fewer staff than buildings where it can be difficult to see from one side to the other. The new library seeks to address existing deficits, such as the addition of more study and meeting rooms, which do not require additional staffing. Additionally, while the number of staff may remain the same, the way staff are assigned may differ according to customer needs. Finally, the number of staff are anticipated to remain the same for the first year of operations. As needs change, the number of staff may change as well. 

In accordance with the Downtown Columbia Plan adopted unanimously by the County Council in 2010, The Howard Hughes Corporation is the designated Community Developer for Downtown Columbia.

Howard Hughes is the landowner of the property where the Lakefront Library is to be built.  Howard Hughes selected and bore the costs for the conceptual designs and Heatherwick informational gathering sessions to understand the needs of this iconic community building.  The design will follow Howard County’s Lakefront Core Design Guidelines with an architecturally distinctive building, as called for in the Downtown Columbia Plan.

In order to obtain the site, Howard County Government and Howard County Library System are entering into a partnership with the Community Developer. Under this partnership the Community Developer will donate the site to the County at no cost and will manage the design and construction of the project in collaboration with the County and HCLS.

Procurement: For procuring the design and construction of the new branch, a procurement selection committee will include representatives from the County, HCLS, and the Community Developer. Both the design and construction contracts will be bid, and will follow the same procedures and requirements that were agreed to between the County and the Community Developer for the Merriweather District infrastructure.

Howard Hughes contracted with Heatherwick Studios as the lead architect and will work with a local firm to be the architect of record, following the procurement process noted above. The local firm will oversee the interior design, construction documents, and construction.

Thomas Heatherwick is a world renowned, English designer who is most famous for his original and thought-provoking architectural designs. Heatherwick is one of the most sought-after design firms in the world today. Their designs are striking and authentically unique. Most of their work is done in the largest international gateway cities of the world such as New York, London, Singapore, and Shanghai. They designed Google’s headquarters buildings in Silicon Valley and London. Heatherwick is famous for such groundbreaking buildings as Learning Hub in Singapore, 1000 Trees in Shanghai, and London Olympia in London. See examples of his work at heatherwick.com.

Heatherwick elected to engage with HCLS on the design of the new central library conceptual design. It is truly a testament to the world class quality of our library system and to the transformative vision and essential values of both Columbia and Howard County.

His involvement will complement the dynamic architecture of iconic architect Frank Gehry in the Downtown Lakefront. Heatherwick is known for his focus on humanity and sustainability, which aligns with a transformative, comprehensive library at the Lakefront.

Heatherwick Studio developed the conceptual designs that have been shared publicly. If the project is approved by the County Council, a local architect would be hired through a public procurement process to be the architect of record, moving the design concepts to buildable documents. More detailed designs do not currently exist. These would be developed with the local architect of record and informed by recent public listening and engagement sessions, an ongoing community survey, and future community engagement. 

Jay Cross, the president of Howard Hughes, had worked with Heatherwick on other projects and suggested the firm based on conversations with Tonya Aikens around the vision for the library, how it could better serve the community, and how it could draw people to the library as a community hub. Heatherwick is the design architect, but a local architect will be chosen through a competitive bid process and be the architect of record. 

The Lakefront Library will be at Lake Kittamaqundi, west of the fountain and north of the Whole Foods parking lot – on the site of the former American City Building and its parking area. The planned site is currently a surface parking lot.

This library design will include approximately 500 parking spaces within a parking structure, more than double what are on the site today. The garage replaces and adds to those surface parking spaces that already exist and dedicates a percentage to Library customers, neighboring retailers, and lakefront visitors.

No. This garage would be the first truly public parking at the Lakefront (current parking is owned by Howard Hughes).

As the owner and manager of most of the space in the lakefront, CA will be a critical stakeholder and partner throughout the development process. None of the property provided for the proposed library site is on Columbia Association land, and there are no impacts to CA easements.

The parking lot where the Lakefront Library is planned to be built was previously approved for an up to 15 story office/residential building. Building a library – public space – will preserve the best views for the public.

It is too soon to tell. If the County Council approves moving forward with this project, the planning and design phase will begin.  

If approved, the schedule will be as follows:

• FY24: Planning and design
• FY25: Continue design, pursue permits and pre-construction services
• FY26: Begin construction
• FY27: Complete construction and ribbon cutting

The Library hosted listening and engagement sessions for the community and is planning additional information sessions in May. The community is invited to take a survey, available through hclibrary.org, and communicate their support to their County Council members.

Once the project is approved to move forward, additional community sessions will be held as the Library moves into the planning and design phase.

The renderings are just that – concepts about what we hope this will look like. If the County Council approves moving forward, we would use $10M in State funding to start the real planning and design process. Right now everything is conceptual. Once the project is approved, we’ll hold even more community sessions. 

The Housing Commission fully supports the unified Lakefront Library/Merriweather Housing Plan. The Commission requested to remain in the Merriweather District. Physically separating the two components of this project is a win-win for all parties.

Per the DRRA, low income housing units are considered to be units affordable to households earning 60 percent or less of the Area Median Income (AMI). Fifty percent of the units in the Merriweather housing project will be Low Income units financed with Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC).

Mixed-income housing includes housing that is affordable to households across a spectrum of lower income levels, and typically includes market-rate units along with income restricted units.  The rents for affordable units are calculated to be affordable to households based on a specified percentage of the Area Median Income (AMI). The AMI levels for LIHTC units typically range between 30% to 80% of the AMI. Deeper levels of affordability are often achieved with the inclusion of Project Based Housing Choice Vouchers.

Mixed-income housing is a strategy that is used to achieve different housing and social goals depending on the neighborhood, market, and nature of the housing project. The approach is often intended as a means to avoid the concentration of low-income residents in a single building or community.

For the Downtown Columbia LIHTC projects, the mixed-income housing approach was included in the DRRA as a means of seamlessly integrating affordable housing into a community of high end market-rate units. With a high level of design, as well the inclusion of market and workforce housing units, the LIHTC projects will not stand out as affordable or low-income housing projects. Mixed income housing has been the preferred approach to adding affordable units in Howard County for many years.

The Housing Commission is partnering with Enterprise Community Development to develop the project. The project will be owned by a limited partnership that will be controlled by a Housing Commission affiliate and will include an investor that will purchase the LIHTC credits.

The site is in the southwest quadrant of the Merriweather District adjacent to the new Marlow apartment building and Color Burst Park.

The DRRA stipulates that the Library and housing are to be built on one site, and presumably in one building on the Merriweather site.  This is similar to the DRRA requirements for the other mixed-use developments in the downtown, including the NCC and Artists Flats, the Banneker Fire Station with Senior Housing, and the new transit center with housing above.

The proposed solution provides an opportunity to optimize the benefits of both uses in separate sites. This vision solves the numerous obstacles that have impeded the progress of the development of a new Central Library and associated additional affordable housing, as well as addressing the current need to re-energize the Lakefront. The library can be designed on an ideal site at the lakefront without the complication of including a housing structure on top. The housing may also proceed independently of the library’s design and funding timetable and design a residential-only structure that will be more cost efficient and can be constructed faster. Without the need to include the library, the site can also accommodate at least twice the number of units proposed stipulated in the DRRA.

The housing, however, cannot be done in a vacuum. The Lakefront Library provides a single purpose site to the Housing Commission and “unlocks” the Merriweather site, delivering more than twice the affordable housing originally contemplated, to the market faster and with greater certainty.

The Unified Lakefront Library & Merriweather Affordable Housing Solution builds on the foundation of the original DRRA, while still adhering to its requirements.