SALISBURY, Md.- A plan for a new Salisbury University performing arts center in downtown Salisbury is moving forward following the passing Wicomico County Council vote that will provide SU with the property to build the facility.
Council members voted 6-1 to allow a $1-per-year lease of the University-owned building at 909 South Schumaker Drive, along with approximately 10 surrounding acres, for up to 30 years to facilitate moving the Wicomico County Library’s flagship facility, the Paul South Sarbanes Library, to that property, according to the University.
In exchange, SU will acquire the library’s current location at 122 South Division Street, with plans to demolish the building and construct a performing arts center. The project represents a $100 million investment in downtown Salisbury, said the University.
SU says it is excited for the opportunity to expand its presence in downtown Salisbury.
"The new performing arts center will serve not only as a new venue for the arts at SU, but as a space for education and community engagement beyond the traditional University campus with a sizable economic impact on the region." said Dr. Maarten Pereboom, Dean of SU’s Charles R. and Martha N. Fulton School of Liberal Arts.
While the relocated Sarbanes branch will remain the county’s flagship library, SU says a smaller library will be established in downtown Salisbury, to continue to provide walkable resources for community members in that area.
SU says the building was last renovated in 1980 and is in need of some $15.7 million in upgrades, according to a 2022 feasibility study. Replacing the building at its current location would cost an estimated $26 million, according to the study.
With the recent council vote, the library is eligible to request up to 84 percent of that cost be covered through the Maryland State Library Agency’s Capital Grants Program, which would leave the county with a total out-of-pocket cost of about $1.25 million, according to the University.
SU says it is in discussions with the City of Salisbury regarding the need for additional and dedicated parking downtown and public transportation to best accommodate the planned performing arts center, and expects solutions to be in place before the center opens in four to five years.