The College of Southern Maryland’s Leonardtown campus is due to be renovated and the St. Mary’s commissioners approved a grant request to do just that at their meeting Tuesday.
The total project cost is $16.3 million. Planning and the first phase of construction will cost $7.7 million and take place in fiscal 2026, while the second construction phase and capital equipment will cost $8.4 million and take place a year later.
The commissioners hope a grant from the Maryland Higher Education Commission will come through. The county’s share of the project will be 25%.
“We’re very excited about restoring the former St. Mary’s Academy building in its place on campus,” College of Southern Maryland Vice President for Operations and Planning Bill Comey said.
The concept for the comprehensive renovation and expansion will be to make Building A a three-story library and learning commons in the heart of the campus. The commons will centralize support services such as the library, math resource center, writing center and general tutoring services, which are currently spread out over three buildings.
Also included will be disability support services, counseling and the college store, and the renovation will also feature pods and individual flex spaces.
“We’re going to bring new life to the building,” Comey said, “and create a new learning hub.”
The building, which was the former St. Mary’s Academy girls Catholic school, was built in 1939 and purchased by the college in 1996 and renovated a year later.
“The building still has a lot of the 1939 issues with it … and a lot of issues that we need to address,” Comey said, referring to water penetration, general decay, the rotting of windows and the gutting and replacement of the air conditioning unit.
“It’s pretty substantial. It’s a lot of money,” Commissioner Eric Colvin (R) said, then asked if the building would be open to the public.
Comey said the library would be open to the public.
Commissioner Mike Hewitt (R) asked what would happen if the grant did not go through, to which Comey responded that the college would work with the state to find out why or reapply.
“I’m concerned because the governor cut funding for CSM, so I’m really concerned about this [project] and how it goes forward,” Commissioner President Randy Guy (R) said.
Commissioner Mike Alderson Jr. (R) was not in attendance at the meeting.
A budget work session scheduled for later in the afternoon was canceled.
“We made all the decisions that needed to be made before it’s brought to a final vote,” Colvin said of the May 21 meeting when the fiscal 2025 budget will be finalized.
Honoring preservationistsIn honor of National Historic Preservation Month, the St. Mary’s County Historic Preservation Commission recognized its 2024 recipients.
John Cook and Eve Love received an Historic Preservation Service Award for their book “Before the Base,” and the Rev. Francis Michael Walsh received an Historic Preservation Service Award for his book “The Story of the Saint Inigoes Mission 1634-1994.”
Paul Choporis was given an Historic Preservation Project Award for preserving and re-purposing the “Honey Lane” restaurant and bar.
Since 1999, the St. Mary’s County Historic Preservation Commission has recognized individuals and organizations for their valuable work in preserving and protecting the history of the county.
Federal funding plan updateThe commissioners also moved to accept the update to the American Rescue Plan as presented with support to IT and to allocate the remaining $20,861 to emergency services as one-time grants to all of its fire departments and rescue squads.
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