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Anne Arundel libraries outline capital plan: Glen Burnie design, Brooklyn Park rebuild and temporary sites
Summary
Library leaders told the County Council they are advancing design of a new Glen Burnie Library—aiming for demolition in 2026 and an opening around 2028—requested $4 million for Brooklyn Park renovations including drainage and elevator work, and asked the council to maintain capital funding in the recommended budget.
Library and executive staff described capital and operating priorities for Anne Arundel County Public Libraries during the council's May 12 department budget presentations, reporting progress on several projects and requesting continued county support.
What they said: Library leadership asked the council to fund capital items in the county-executive recommendation and highlighted three projects in particular: - Glen Burnie replacement: The library team said design work is underway and that a modified design-build process may put the project to construction following an expected design package in mid-2025. The library's timeline anticipates demolition of the existing building and establishment of a temporary library site (consistent with Riviera Beach's temporary model), with the new Glen Burnie Library expected to open around 2028. - Brooklyn Park renovation and drainage repairs: The library noted the FY26 request includes about $4,000,000 to renovate Brooklyn Park Library, add elevator access and new conference spaces, and fix ongoing drainage problems at the facility. Officials said the drainage remediation is a significant part of the cost and that the package also improves staff and public spaces. - Riviera Beach and Mountain Road: Rivera Beach library opened last year; Mountain Road carries forward prior-year planning funds because a candidate parcel did not become available and library staff continue to study new permanent locations.
Operational requests and staffing: Library leaders also described operational requests, including an in-house learning-and-development assistant manager and a maintenance mechanic position the library has sought for several years, plus participation in the Maryland CORE service member program that provides temporary hourly staff for community engagement and workforce diversification.
Why it matters: The capital plan affects local service continuity at major branches, accessibility improvements (elevators), parking and drainage problems that have disrupted service and long-term branch distribution across the county.
Council questions: Members asked for detail on the Brooklyn Park scope and cost and asked library staff to provide itemized costs for drainage, elevator and other renovation components; library staff agreed to supply more detail. Council members also asked about the Glen Burnie temporary library site; staff noted possible locations and said a temporary facility would be rented for the construction period.
Ending: Library leaders said they will provide additional project-level cost breakdowns for Brooklyn Park, updates on Glen Burnie design milestones and site options for temporary library space during construction.
