bold briefing

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For Laurel-area citizens

Main Street Merchants and Businesses

Residents of the GroveHere’s Why:

Families – parents, children,

seniors come to libraries.

· People like places they can walk and shop –like the Laurel Meat Market.

A library in the Main Street area

would bring visitors and shoppers.

More visitors = new shops and restaurants

Enhanced property values for residents and businesses

Higher tax revenues for the city.

Places to relaxWalking paths,

picnic tables

“The presence of public buildings is

one of the keys to a strong and vibrant

downtown or town center.”

Public Buildings Keep Town Centers Alive

by Philip LangdonPlanning Commissioners Journal, Winter 2003

… “[T]the [Seattle, Washington] Library is associated with $16 million in net new spending...$80 million for 5 year…nearby businesses report increases in spending associated with Library visitors.”

… “The [Hudson, Ohio] library fulfills its role as the anchor by creating opportunities for multi-stop trips.”

Planning Commissioners Journal “Libraries: At the Heart of Our Communities.”

The area has ample site and street parking, parking lots nearby.

The site has the potential for expansion to a deck in the future

Route 198 is very busy. So is 7th/216.

Near MARC

Rt. 1 Corridor

Rt 197/Rt 198

Less than one mile from current library

On major bus routes

Seniors

Young people

Adults who cannot afford or who are without access to cars.

Route G:–

Laurel Main Street stops

Route G: Laurel, Beltsville, Greenbelt

, Berwyn Heights,

DOES NOT SERVE CURRENT LIBRARY

Route H:

Laurel Main Street

DOES NOT SERVE CURRENT LIBRARY

Route H: Laurel, South Laurel, Beltsville, Greenbelt, Berwyn Heights, College Park

Purple Line: Laurel Rt. 1Purple Line: Laurel, Savage, Jessup, Elkridge

DOES NOT SERVE CURRENT LIBRARY

Rt. E: Serving Main Street

and current library

Route E whole Route –Laurel, North Laurel, Savage, Columbia

SERVE S BOTH AREAS

Route C: Laurel Main Street and current library

SERVE S BOTH AREAS

This historic park can and should be preserved.

The current library building can be

re-purposed into an Education and Heritage Resource Center Serving the Grove Community

Classrooms for GED and other educational programs

Community space for meetings

Computers and other resources

Space for county services

YES

Funds are available to purchase additional property for either site for parking.

The downtown site offers opportunities for public private development.

Downtown is in the designated Smart Growth/Transportation area.

Library + Private Development

Hollywood Library/Bookmark Apartments –

Portland Oregon

First Amherst Development Group, developed this

unique mixed-use project in the Hollywood District

of Portland, Oregon.

The project combines a 13,000 SF branch library with

47 mixed-income apartments and 815 square feet

of ground floor retail space.

This innovative, transit-oriented project is a first-of-

its-kind joint venture between the public and

private sectors; the County owns the library, and

the developer owns the residential and retail

spaces.

The Laurel-area community gets a much needed new library.

Downtown Laurel businesses prosper; city revenues increase.

Citizens have a library accessible to more public transportation, shops, and recreation.

Emancipation Park is preserved – and the Grove benefits from a new community resource

Current LocationDowntown Location

New Library

Revitalized downtown

Walk to Shops

Walk to Park

Good Public Transportation

Accessible by Car

Enhanced Tax Revenue & Property Values

South Bowie Library:under construction

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Let elected officials know you want the new library in downtown Laurel: TEDernoga@co.pg.md.us

mayor@laurel.md.us

Questions? email BOLDLaurel@verizon.net