JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The Jackson City Council voted on Tuesday to transfer the Eudora Welty Library to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH).

The library is set to become a green space.

Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy has been a supporter of the project since its inception. He secured a $1 million grant from a private donor to go toward the project and help memorialize the donor’s late wife.

The Mississippi Legislature provided $2 million in funding for the project.

“I am excited about the potential of having that green space there. There’s nothing we can do with Eudora Welty with the shape that is in that roof has been in that shape since the hailstorm. And, you know, it was water leaks, the books, the inventory, you know, mildew in the carpet, you know, and to be able to have a green space where people can ride down State Street and see right to the Civil Rights Museum. And on the other side is where Tougaloo Nine was. I think that is going to be a very nice historic experience, and I think that everybody in the city is committed to making sure we find a good permanent spot for the new library downtown,” said City Council President Aaron Banks, Ward 6.

The greenspace will feature a children’s play area and a stage.

Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba said his administration is working with the Library Commission to find a downtown location for a new library.