BALTIMORE — Park Heights is one step closer to having a brand new library branch.
An $18.6 million construction contract with Whiting-Turner Contracting Company was approved at the Board of Estimates meeting on Wednesday, allowing work to start on the project.
Mayor Brandon Scott, who was born and raised in Park Heights, posted his excitement on X, saying, "Anyone who grew up in Park Heights knows, you had to walk 2 miles just to get to a library."
The mayor said this is the first new library built in Baltimore in 15 years.
Anyone who grew up in Park Heights knows, you had to walk 2 miles just to get to a library, because for over two decades, the only library in our neighborhood sat closed.
— Brandon M. Scott (@MayorBMScott) July 17, 2025
Now, this will be the FIRST NEW library built in Baltimore in FIFTEEN YEARS. https://t.co/2uHDUc6tVs
According to the Enoch Pratt Free Library's website, the new location features a dedicated children's reading room, a variety of lounge and study spaces, and public access to computer areas and Wi-Fi.
The new Park Heights Branch is anticipated to be under construction from winter this year through 2027.
This project has been in the works for years. In February 2023, Mayor Scott announced that the city had received $11.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding for library renovations.
$3 million of that was allotted for work on the new Park Heights branch. The new facility in Northwest Baltimore replaces the old Pimlico branch, which closed more than 24 years ago.
Last month, the project received $249,000 as part of a $7.2 million grant approved by the Board of Public Works to support 8 capital improvement projects at libraries across the state.
A release from the Maryland State Library Agency says the state previously provided $5 million for this planned 16,280-square-foot facility outside of the grant program.
The library will be located at the intersection of Park Heights and Woodland Avenues.
The new Park Heights library branch represents a significant investment in the community and an important milestone for residents who have long lacked easy access to library resources.
Last May, the mayor announced Park Heights as the City’s ninth Baltimore Main Street district. The Baltimore Main Streets program is a city-wide effort to revitalize neighborhood economies and support business and community development.
