SALISBURY, Md. - Salisbury University’s vision for a downtown performing arts center took a significant step forward with the announcement of $2 million in state funding for planning and pre-construction.
Maryland Secretary of Housing and Community Development Jake Day and SU President Dr. Carolyn Lepre shared details of the project during a public event attended by dozens of community members.
“Our performing arts center will be far more than just a building,” Lepre said. “This facility will become the crown jewel of downtown Salisbury.”
The $100 million project will replace the current Sarbanes Branch of the Wicomico Public Library at the old Armory building site. Meanwhile, the library is expected to relocate to the former home of the Ward Museum on Schumaker Pond.
“Sometimes things just work,” Lepre said. “We wanted to ensure the Schumaker Pond building remained a public asset, and moving the library there felt like the perfect solution.”
The state previously committed $1 million for the project in Fiscal Year 2025, with an additional $1 million announced for Fiscal Year 2026.
Mike Dunn, president of the Greater Salisbury Committee, called the performing arts center a transformative investment for the city.
“This is what downtown’s been waiting for, for 45 years,” Dunn said. “A $100 million performing arts center will bring 15,000 to 20,000 people here annually, helping downtown Salisbury become the place we’ve always envisioned.”
Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor emphasized the city’s commitment to working to ensure smart growth in the area.
“As we plan the next phase of downtown’s development, we want to be strong partners with SU to achieve goals that benefit both the city and the university,” Taylor said.
Day, who served as Salisbury’s mayor for seven years before joining Gov. Wes Moore’s administration, addressed the state’s investments despite a $3 billion budget deficit.
“You ask yourself, why are we investing record amounts of money in building things?” Day said. “It’s because building things pays for our bills. There’s no better way to invest state taxpayer dollars than through revitalization programs.”
The performing arts center is expected to drive economic development, attract cultural tourism, and enhance community events like the Maryland Folk Festival. Construction is slated to begin in 2026, with an opening projected within four to five years.
