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Build Around Being Considered by Developers in Rolling Mill Area

September 16th, 2019 by WCBC Radio

Even though there remain just a handful of property owners not willing to sell in the Rolling Mill area- the original concept for the proposed Cumberland Gateway Plaza off Interstate 68- has changed- with developers now looking at a “build-around” . Plans were initiated in 2015 with the idea being to remove 69 properties in order to construct a shopping plaza between Maryland Avenue and Park Street containing a hotel, restaurants and shops. Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss said he had hoped for a full plaza and it’s disappointing that the project may not reach it’s maximum potential. One option the city could take to secure the final properties to complete the full scale project is eminent domain. The mayor says the city hasn’t reached that point yet- but it remains an option…

4 Responses to “Build Around Being Considered by Developers in Rolling Mill Area”

  1. September 16, 2019 at 10:06 am, kevin said:

    Such a rush to build another dollar store. Good luck with the E.D. actions. It will literally add years and years to the process. This entire episode has been a sham – the proposed plaza was Grim’s idea, not any credible developer. The current developer initially was built up as willing to do a build around rom day one, and was fine with keeping fast food drive throughs and dollar stores out – but the Council amended the agreement creating the likelihood that that is what will be built there.

    It appears the Mayor wants to keep making the same mistakes. Meanwhile, how will any new business last there without a new exit? Yes a lot of traffic passes the existing exit, but it is a hard exit to get to without planning – and I doubt travelers, after passing Frostburg and LaVale will be ready to stop quite so fast. I hope I live to see an economic effort to do more than sell travelers a burger, soda, gas and a car wash after they use the rest stop.

    Reply

    • September 16, 2019 at 11:09 am, Carla said:

      Citizens need to attend council meetings and demand A compatible visionary plan that works with Canal Place and downtown historic area. This city is too small to have disjointed neighborhoods and developments. The counselor should be having open forums all over the city for citizens to have input and voice what they want to see the city become we cannot afford any more mistakes such as the mansion it was destroyed for a used car lot or all that space over there that has forced many people to move we do not need more fast food restaurants we need a good plan and a vision >

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  2. September 16, 2019 at 3:25 pm, Ed Dodrill said:

    Eminent domain would take a long time as well.

    Reply

  3. September 16, 2019 at 7:31 pm, mac said:

    For the government to declare eminent domain in order to force families from their homes may be legally acceptable but it is not morally acceptable. Eminent domain had been used in the past in order to open land for a highway or a hospital, not to turn around and allow private business owners to profit at the expense of a family being uprooted from their home and forced to start over somewhere else.
    When this whole fiasco was started some years ago no-one would even mention eminent domain but slowly that has changed. Now the warning is out there. “We don’t want to use eminent domain” (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)

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