ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore this month announced $63.7 million in Fiscal Year 2024 awards for seven state revitalization programs administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. The awards to county and municipal governments, community development organizations, and other community institutions and partners will fund 219 projects and activities that directly support local revitalization goals.
“To win the decade, we must be intentional about building sustainable, vibrant communities that lift all Marylanders,” said Gov. Moore. “These investments will support local and county leaders in their vital work to drive economic growth and create stronger pathways to prosperity in all parts of the state. Together, we will continue to revitalize our communities and reveal Maryland’s full potential.”
The seven programs will support revitalization and redevelopment projects and activities, including: business expansion and retention; façade and streetscape improvements; homeownership and home rehabilitation incentives; commercial improvement programs; community facilities; mixed-use development, and demolition activities. For a full list of awards, please visit: FY24 State Revitalization Program Awards (PDF).
The Strategic Demolition Fund, a statewide program aimed at catalyzing activities that accelerate economic development and job production in existing Maryland communities, awarded $6.4 million to 17 projects, including:
- Construction of SBY Market Center, a mixed-use development of housing and ground-floor commercial space that will extend the City of Salisbury’s Riverwalk area, upgrading the river’s bulkhead, and improving the streetscape (Wicomico County);
- Demolition of Lucas Village, a public housing community in Frederick with health and safety concerns, in preparation for construction of nearly 250 new affordable housing units (Frederick County);
- Redevelopment of the old Prince Frederick Armory Building into an open-air, multi-use, community pavilion in the heart of Prince Frederick Town Center (Calvert County).
Project C.O.R.E., or Creating Opportunities for Revitalization and Equity, is an initiative to eliminate vacant and deteriorating properties in Baltimore City and make way for green space, affordable and mixed-use housing, and new opportunities for businesses. The initiative has removed or stabilized nearly 5,750 vacant units in Baltimore. Project C.O.R.E. awarded $20 million to 37 projects, including:
- Stabilization of St Luke’s Youth Center in Southwest Baltimore to bring it back to its original site of operations while expanding the capacity of its programs and outreach;
- Site prep and construction to transform an area in the Harlem Park neighborhood used for illegal dumping into a sustainable park featuring Maryland-native flora, a labyrinth, fountain, performance stage, and other amenities;
- And infrastructure, design, and engineering funds for the ongoing redevelopment of Reservoir Square, which includes 60,000 square feet of office space and a 200-unit mixed-use, mixed-income apartment building with grocery-anchored ground-floor retail.
The Baltimore Regional Neighborhood Initiative is designed to support redevelopment in communities within the Baltimore Beltway. More than $12.6 million was awarded to 60 projects, including:
- Infrastructure, renovation, and new construction to support improvements to the existing Park West Health System building and a planned addition to improve the quality and expand the scale of health services in Northwest Baltimore;
- Funding for tenant fit-out of the Mount Clare Junction Grocery Store in South Baltimore to provide specialty departments, fresh produce, and other healthy food options;
- And continuation of an incentive program to support homebuyers purchasing a primary home in Baltimore City and Northern Anne Arundel County’s Baybrook neighborhoods, featuring a “Live Near Your Park” bonus to increase homeownership in blocks adjacent to existing green spaces.
Like the Baltimore Regional Neighborhood Initiative, the National Capital Strategic Economic Development Fund provided $7.2 million in funding for 15 projects in communities in and around the Capital Beltway, including:
- Demolition and other predevelopment activities to create a mixed-use community that includes commercial, retail, and residential buildings as part of the redevelopment of Cheverly;
- And funding for comprehensive weatherization, energy efficiency, and electrification improvements to preserve existing, small-scale, affordable multifamily housing in Takoma Park.
Community Legacy awarded more than $6 million to 54 projects in designated Sustainable Communities throughout Maryland. Some of these projects include:
- Stabilization of the Town Hall in the Town of Goldsboro to provide safe public access and more effective town governance. The project will support and enhance programming for seniors and youth, government functions, and business development activities (Caroline County);
- Infrastructure improvements, including utilities and roads to support Blue Oaks at North Odenton, an affordable apartment community that received Low Income Housing Tax Credits and other rental housing financing from DHCD (Anne Arundel County);
- And rehabilitation of Building 102 at the decommissioned Fort Ritchie to turn the former theater and training facility for the famed “Ritchie Boys” into the Fort Ritchie Taproom (Washington County).
Additionally, $10 million in grants and loans were provided to higher education institutions and hospitals by the Seed Community Development Anchor Institution Fund for community development projects in disinvested areas of the state. The funds supported 17 projects, including:
- Frostburg State University’s rehabilitation and restoration of the Prichard Building for mixed-use redevelopment (Allegany County);
- And rehabilitation of 20 single-family rowhomes using net-zero energy construction strategies to satisfy local historic preservation guidelines, supported by Bon Secours Health and Sinai Hospital of Baltimore as part of efforts to stabilize two currently vacant blocks and help residents build generational wealth through homeownership.
Created during the 2023 General Assembly session, the new Maryland Façade Improvement Program awarded $1.5 million to 17 communities. Funds will be used to enhance the character and attractiveness of local business districts by improving the exterior façades of buildings and facilities.
“Our revitalization awards are guided by public, private, and nonprofit partnerships that work at the local level to find solutions to meet the redevelopment goals in each of these unique and diverse communities. No one knows their community better than the people who live and work there,” said Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day. “Once our local partners have identified their goals and course of action, our adaptable and flexible state resources, combined with our team’s technical expertise, empower and support their vision for community improvement.”
