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CEDC Gives Update On Proposed Downtown Renovations

June 12th, 2019 by WCBC Radio

Officials with the Cumberland Economic Development Corp. gave an update Tuesday  on renovations proposed from the downtown pedestrian mall. The CEDC board held its regular monthly meeting in conference room of the Allegany Chamber of Commerce- just prior to a late afternoon meeting with the Cumberland Mayor and City Council.   Proposed ideas include a 48-room boutique hotel on the downtown mall as part of a larger plan to renovate the pedestrian mall by reinstalling Baltimore Street through the mall permitting the return of vehicular traffic as well as limited parking. CEDC executive director Paul Kelly said the estimated cost of the project now stands at more than $8.6 million…

         

3 Responses to “CEDC Gives Update On Proposed Downtown Renovations”

  1. June 12, 2019 at 12:14 pm, mac said:

    Here’s another idea that’s just as big a boondoggle and can cost just as much. Install the Baltimore St. Canal. It draws on the heritage of the C&O Canal and would completely replace Baltimore St. as we know it. Put a pumping station to draw water from Wills Creek and pump it up to around McDonalds. There a man made canal would be dug to flow the water past the new 48 room boutique hotel to eventually return to Wills Creek to be pumped again. Picture our own local river walk ala Austin Tx. I’m pretty sure that the city could throw 8.6 million at that.

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  2. June 12, 2019 at 7:31 pm, j.r. lepley said:

    I think it will be really nice when they open up a lane for traffic,just think,, you only have to drive one or two block s and you can buy your drug s,get robbed or pick up a hooker and don’t even have to get out of your car!

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    • June 13, 2019 at 9:06 am, Jay said:

      Opening up Baltimore Street is not a bad idea. The underground infrastructure obviously needs to be replaced. But I doubt that it will ever happen. It’s like everything else in the region – initial excitement about a new project or development or construction and then crickets. Why does everything take so long to even get off the ground? The Rolling Mills thing, the Footer building, the housing development across from American Woodmark, and on and on. The Canal Place stage area gets used what – maybe 5 or 6 days a year? Crazy. And this 48 room hotel in the old M and T building? Who wants to invest that kind of money in Cumberland?A hotel with 48 rooms means at least 50+ bathrooms. Very, very expensive project. And now we lose a major employer and the county tax revenues that go with it. Some say the light at the end of the tunnel is more like a freight train coming right at you.

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