SNOW HILL – Library officials say they are awaiting the results of a state demolition grant before the county can move for with the acquisition of land for the construction of a new Pocomoke branch.
On Tuesday, Library Director Jennifer Ranck presented the Worcester County Library Board of Trustees with an update regarding plans for a new branch in downtown Pocomoke.
“Pocomoke has an old armory that’s in rough shape and hasn’t been used by any public entity in a long time …,” she told board members this week. “An idea came about that perhaps the county could put a new library there.”
Last year, county officials began moving forward with plans for a new library in Pocomoke after selecting a building scheme for a shared facility on a vacant lot offered by the City of Pocomoke. The proposed site would not only house the Pocomoke branch, but a senior center as well.
But last October, Ranch announced the library’s decision to forego the construction of a new branch on the downtown parcel after receiving the results of a phase two environmental study, which identified several underground storage tanks on the site.
Despite the setback, Pocomoke City Manager Jeremy Mason approached the Worcester County Commissioners last month with a proposal to seek state grant funding for the purposes of demolishing the old armory and an adjacent condemned building on 2nd Street. Once the buildings were torn down, he said, the city would donate the site to the county so a new library branch could be built there.
To that end, the commissioners voted unanimously last week to enter into an agreement with the city regarding the construction of the Pocomoke library. Should the city receive the grant and undertake the task of environmental remediation and demolition, the property will be deeded to Worcester County at no cost.
“The city will know if they get the grant sometime in November …,” Ranck said. “If we don’t get the grant, my recommendation in the CIP is to stay where we are and move forward.”
While the goal is to construct a new library, Ranck said she hasn’t ruled out plans for an addition and renovation at the existing branch location on Market Street. While there’s room for expansion behind the existing facility, she noted the current branch would also need new plumbing, roofing and HVAC equipment.
“I’m hoping very much Pocomoke gets a new library,” she said. “It’s 51 years old now. It’s time.”
Should plans for a new library at the 2nd Street location move forward, Ranck said she could apply for state capital funds to assist in its construction. She added that grant application also requires a facility plan, which will soon be updated.
