Today we are revisiting Maryland Comptroller-elect Lierman’s words from a 2020 guest blog as she makes a powerful case for the important role historic preservation can play in helping Maryland grow smarter.
The Hogan administration today announced the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT), a division of the Maryland Department of Planning, has awarded 16 projects more than $19 million in revitalization tax credits, leveraging more than $92 million in additional investment.
“The Historic Revitalization Tax Credit awards will breathe new life into our communities and towns,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “These awards will allow for refurbishments to revitalize sites in local communities across the state and serve as an effective investment tool for strengthening Maryland’s local economies and redevelopment across Maryland.”
Before Europeans arrived in Maryland there were many tribes of indigenous people with complex communities and languages, and while these tribes differed in several ways, they shared many aspects of their culture, too, like music. In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Preservation Maryland is sharing an introduction to the sounds and songs of Maryland’s first people.
The historic ca. 1930s Central Branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore City reopened last weekend after undergoing a $115 million dollar building renovation and technology upgrade project.
Preservation Maryland and partners on a hard hat tour of the Pratt Library, June 2018.
The project was completed under the supervision of the Maryland State Department of General Services, with funding from the State of Maryland, City of Baltimore and private donors to the Enoch Pratt Renovation campaign. The renovation was designed by Beyer Blinder Belle Architects of New York and managed by Ayers/Saint/Gross with Gilbane Development Company as the general contractor.
In addition to the tremendous scale of the renovation and the difficulty of modernizing the historic and highly-decorative 30,000 square foot structure, the project team designed the project in phases that allowed the Pratt Library to remain open much of the project and to carry on its mission as a resource serving all Marylanders.
The public grand reopening was held on Saturday, September 14, 2019 and was attended by U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, Maryland State Senator William C. “Bill” Ferguson IV, Maryland State Senator Mary Washington, Maryland State Delegate Brooke Lierman, former U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski, Baltimore Mayor Bernard “Jack” Young, among others and over 1,000 citizens.
Pratt Restoration Series on YouTube