A fence surrounds the parking lot of the Eudora Welty Library, which is no longer in use.
The fencing heralds “Future Home of Margaret Ann Crigler Park.”
The banner that flew at the entrance to the library showing an image of the Jackson author and signage on the building have been removed.
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) hopes to begin demolition in December 2024 and complete it by July 2025, according to Sarah Warnock, director of public relations for the department.
An invitation for bids for the tear down of the building has been issued and a demolition company should be selected by mid-September. After a demolition company is selected, the MDAH will need the Public Procurement Review Board’s approval before entering into a contract for the demolition, she said.
The city of Jackson transferred the ownership of the library earlier this year to the MDAH so it could begin the process for the once flagship library to be torn down.
The Welty Library, which opened in 1986 in a renovated Sears department store and had become an eyesore, has been permanently closed for months due to lack of air conditioning and other problems.
After the building is demolished, the site, which sits in front of the Two Museums (Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum), will be transformed into a greenspace.
A gift from businessman Noble T. Crigler of Moon Lake, Miss. and Viola, Ark., which celebrates the love story of he and his wife, set in motion plans for the space.
Crigler donated $1 million for the design of the park that will be named in honor of his late wife, Margaret Ann Crigler, who died in November 2021, and has also given an insurance policy that will provide for the perpetual maintenance of the park.
“He wrote a check out for $1 million and gave it to Katie Blount (director of MDAH) and said, ‘Let’s get started,’” said Mike Espy, former congressman and agriculture secretary who is a member of the Foundation for Mississippi History that supports and promotes the activities, programs and projects of MDAH.
The greenspace is expected to cost $7 million to $8 million. The Legislature has provided some funding and there are efforts under way to raise funds from the private sector.
