When Berkeley Springs Instruments (BSI) was in search of a new location, a public-private partnership was formed with Allegany County Government, affording them the chance to remain in Allegany County and strategize for future expansion — all to the benefit of both the company and the community.BSI has been in business for more than 35 years. They manufacture ultrasonic sensors used to monitor the health and integrity of pipelines. The process is done entirely in-house, with BSI staff designing, building, deploying, and monitoring the specialized devices once they are in use. BSI sensors are primarily sold in North America and have sales operations throughout the country, but all the manufacturing takes place in Allegany County, says President Gene Silverman

Yesterday, April 20th, 2023, the Allegany County Commissioners approved a motion to publish a request for proposal (RFP) for the redevelopment of the roughly 12 acres located at the site of the former Allegany High School. The County is seeking developers to build market-rate, owner occupied housing on the site. The County will be leveraging grant funds to build infrastructure and conduct sitework, so that units will remain affordable to the average homebuyer. The County hopes to target a per-unit price of $200,000 to $250,000 for 80% of units and $250,000 to $300,000 per unit for 20% of the units. Those entities interested in submitting a proposal may find the RFP and its requirements at the County's website or by visiting eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) under project name "Request for Proposals: Development of Market Rate Housing on County Owned Land (Cumberland, MD)." During the initial period of the bid opening, all potential bidders may ask questions until Monday, May 22, 2023. All questions will be answered in a timely manner that corresponds with Allegany County Procurement Policy and the Maryland Procurement Manual, and shall be published within 48 hours of the close of questioning, with all questions to be published as an addendum no later than close of business (4:00 PM EDT) of Wednesday, May 24, 2023. Bids will no longer be accepted after the close of the bid period, which is Friday, June 30, at close of business (4:00 PM EDT). Once all bids have been received, they will be unsealed and sent to the review committee the following Monday, July 3, 2023. The review committee will take three weeks to review all bids and select winners. The target date for announcing the winners will be Thursday, July 28, 2023. However, depending on the volume of bids received, this may be subject to change, but will be clearly communicated. Please direct all queries regarding the project to Adam Strott, Economic Development Specialist, at astrott@alleganygov.org.

After months of intensive rehabilitation, The McMullen Building, Baltimore Street's iconic anchor building, is opening its doors to new, upper story residents. Allegany County Economic and Community Development (ECD) caught up with CG Enterprises principals Chris Hendershot (CH) and Garrett Eagan (GE), the group behind the historic renovation, to learn more about the project's final months and plans to come. The below interview was edited for clarity and brevity. If you haven't already, take a moment to read our previous interview with the group and see some of the work in progress.Photos courtesy of Lorie Rummer Photography.

Since purchasing the business almost a decade ago, Queen City Creamery (QCC) owner Rhiannon Brown has helped shepherd their delicious frozen custard from their downtown Cumberland shop into Major League Baseball stadiums and onto store shelves. Through her additional plans for expansion, Rhiannon hopes to see the Creamery become a nationally recognized brand that is based in Allegany County.In 2015, Rhiannon learned that the owners of Queen City Creamery were selling their popular shop. After purchasing and renovating the property, she opened its doors again in 2016. 

The project known as the River Park at Canal Place Trails and Trail Connections has been earmarked for $6 million through direct federal funding. The omnibus spending appropriations bill that funds the federal government for the next nine months was signed into law on December 30 and includes funding for over $35 million for projects across Western Maryland, which represents a large portion of the $200 million secured for the State of Maryland at large."I view the River Park at Canal Place project as another way to promote Allegany County's diverse outdoor recreational economy" said Canal Place Preservation & Development Authority Executive Director Deidra "Dee Dee" Ritchie. "The park will help foster community revitalization, enhance water quality, create jobs, support economic growth and diversification and offer new opportunities for people to connect with the natural environment."Ritchie also recognized the role that federal legislators representing the region played. She states "I cannot thank our Federal, District 6 Legislators (Senators Cardin and Van Hollen, and Congressman Trone) enough for securing this money for our area. The initial river park discussions began over 20 years ago. And now here we are."

In July of 2022, the Mayor and City Council of Frostburg signed a binding Letter of Intent (LOI) with Salisbury-based developer Gillis Gilkerson to enter into a due diligence period to develop the strategically demolished city block on Center Street between American Avenue and Oak Street. The project, profiled in a previous blog post, represents the first major investment in what City Administrator Elizabeth Stahlman describes as a “university mixed use corridor."

This past July, Salisbury-based developer Gillis Gilkerson signed a binding Letter Of Interest (LOI) with the Mayor and City Council of Frostburg to begin a due diligence period in order to develop a new, mixed-use apartment building on the corner of Center Street and Park Avenue, across from Frostburg State University’s Center Street lot. The property in question sits between American Avenue and Oak Street, and comprises an entire city block. Elizabeth Stahlman, Frostburg City Administrator, states that the project represents the realization of a “university mixed use corridor”, which itself culminated in the rezoning of the area around Frostburg State University to mixed-use commercial/residential in 2014.

The McMullen Building, a well known anchor structure on the corner of Baltimore Street and N. George Street, is undergoing a major renovation and will soon be home to 14 luxury apartments and additional commercial frontage. The former department store building is being redeveloped by the building's owner, CG Enterprises, and was awarded $250,000 from the Allegany County Commissioners as a winner of the Invest Allegany grant program.Allegany County Economic and Community Development (ECD) had a chance to walk the site with partners Chris Hendershot, Garrett Eagan and Zach Hattenfield last September to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with redeveloping a legacy building into modern and desirable housing. During that interview, the team generously allowed us to photograph the construction of the building. The images below represent early, in-progress renovation of this historic building.This is the first part of an ongoing series profiling Invest Allegany grant award winners and the adaptive reuse projects that are revitalizing the County's architectural landscape. The below interview has been edited for content and clarity. Photos courtesy of Janelle Mulétz Photography.