A demolition permit has been approved for the Eudora Welty Library building in Jackson.
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History on Friday approved the plan after a period of public comment regarding what officials should do with the near-dilapidated building.
This building was constructed in 1946 and first opened as a Sears department store. In the late 1980s, it became the downtown public library and was named after the iconic Mississippi author. Come 2023, the building was in serious disrepair and the city declared that it would no longer maintain it. The Jackson/Hinds Library Board later voted to move the library to a different location.
MDAH plans to work with the city and the library board to mitigate the loss of the historic building. Proposed strategies include providing MDAH grant funds for the adaptive reuse of another downtown historic building to house the library.
In 2024, MDAH acquired the library property with plans to replace the building with a new public park and green. The plans for the project align with the original layout for Jackson from 1822, which included public green spaces on alternating blocks.
A national firm that specializes in park design is assisting state officials in working to create a vista between the Two Mississippi Museums and State Street, which will connect to the Museum Trail. The first $1 million for the project was donated by retired businessman Noble T. Crigler, and the park will be named after his late wife, Margaret Ann Crigler. The Mississippi Legislature has provided funding for the project, and the remaining funds will be raised privately by the Foundation for Mississippi History.
“We have the opportunity to replace an abandoned building with a beautiful public park that will be an asset to our capital city,” MDAH board president Spence Flatgard said. “We are grateful to Noble Crigler, the Mississippi Legislature, and the other donors who will help us make this vision real. We are committed to helping the City and the library system find a suitable location downtown for a new state-of-the-art Eudora Welty Library.”
