Baltimore Launches $8.6M Renovation of Forest Park Library Branch

A 116-year-old Carnegie library in Forest Park will get its first major overhaul since 1987 under an $8.6 million renovation project that Mayor Brandon M. Scott, the Enoch Pratt Free Library, and the Baltimore Department of General Services formally launched on March 18.

The Forest Park Branch, which first opened in 1910 with funding from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and last saw significant work when it was expanded in 1964, will grow from 7,400 square feet to 9,700 square feet once construction wraps. Pratt anticipates completion in 2028, with scheduling, permitting, and site preparation already underway as of the announcement.

The scope goes well beyond cosmetics. State library documents describe plans to replace mechanical, electrical, and safety systems throughout the building while tackling significant water intrusion problems that have persisted in the existing structure. A new ADA entry point will be added, along with an elevator connecting the main library on the first floor to a public meeting room in the basement, a feature the 1910 building has never had.

"I am proud to announce that less than six months after we broke ground on a new Park Heights Library, we are beginning another exciting project: the renovation and expansion of Forest Park Library," Mayor Scott said. "This isn't just a physical makeover; it's an expansion of services and resources to serve this community. Together, we are delivering the world-class library that the people of Forest Park deserve."

Chad Helton, CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, framed the project around what residents will gain when the doors reopen. "It will be a welcoming space with resources supporting education, creativity, and access," Helton said. "We believe that this library will create meaningful experiences and celebrate lifelong learning in the community."

The Maryland State Library Agency listed a $3,218,000 state capital allocation for the Forest Park project as part of its Fiscal 2025 funding round, which also supported library construction and renovation in Anne Arundel, Garrett, Montgomery, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester counties. Baltimore City's own contribution to the Forest Park project is listed at $6,350,000 in state agency documents, though that combined figure and the city's announced $8,616,000 total have not been fully reconciled across public sources.

While the branch is closed, Pratt said it will coordinate pop-up library services with community partners, though specific locations and schedules have not yet been released. Patrons are being directed to other Pratt neighborhood branches in the meantime.

Scott pointed to the Forest Park announcement as part of a deliberate pattern of capital investment in branch libraries across the city, noting that construction at the new Park Heights Library began less than six months prior. The redesigned Forest Park building is described in city planning materials as a "modern, flexible community hub" with brighter, more open spaces intended to serve daily visitors, students, and families who have long relied on the branch as a neighborhood anchor.