Library Square Revitalization

Library Square, a small city-owned park that bridges Fayette and Pulaski Streets between the Patterson Park and McElderry Park neighborhoods, is known today for its namesake—the Patterson Park branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library that sits at its eastern border. The area used to have another name, Belnord Square, named for the historic Belnord Theater that closed in 1969 and was converted to a num­ber of uses—the final one, a furniture store.

Library Square was the focus of revitaliza­tion efforts in this area a decade ago, but in 2009 those efforts stalled because of the recession.

Around 2013, a group of community stake­holders called Friends of Library Square came together, spearheaded by Southeast CDC and Banner Neighborhoods and with investment from the Baltimore Community Foundation, to draft a new Revitalization Plan for Library Square.

Much has changed since. Blue Water Bal­timore constructed 1,000 square feet of engineered rain gardens through the park area. Patterson Park Audubon Center created a new bird-friendly garden and mural at the site of a once crumbling build­ing. Southeast CDC made Library Square a focus area of its Maryland Department of Housing and Community Develop­ment BRNI investments, which included renovations to Banner Neighborhoods new headquarters; improvements to Banner’s former office space for a new non-profit tenant, The Intersec­tion; capital for CASA de Maryland’s new headquarters at the former Belnord Theater; interior improvements, a restored his­toric entrance and a new reading garden at the Patterson Park Library; new custom fencing; two new sculptural bus shelters sited in the park; and more trees along Fayette Street. Additionally, the Southeast CDC completed two Healthy Neighborhoods-funded block projects on adjoining residential blocks and made facade improvements to 10 homes on blocks around the park.

In 2018, the Southeast CDC, in partnership with Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Har­bor Initiative, Blue Water Baltimore and Friends of Library Square, with invest­ment from Chesapeake Bay Trust, piloted a greening stewardship program to ensure the gardens in and around Library Square are cared for by a team of resident volunteers.

Also in 2018, CASA de Maryland began historic renovations to the Belnord Theater, which will be re­stored to its original facade and become the capstone to Li­brary Square revitalization efforts. When it opens, CASA’s new headquarters will house expanded vocational training, employ­ment services, after-school programs, and more. CASA will join Banner Neighborhoods, The Intersection, Baltimore Cur­riculum Project and William Paca Elementary School to form a hub of family-centered programming around Library Square.