The Community's City Center Plan

The Community’s City Center Plan is a 10-year roadmap for eight catalyst projects that will spur development in Hagerstown’s City Center. The plan includes detailed annual steps for making these concepts a reality. It creates at least 875 new permanent jobs, bringing $125 million in new investment downtown.

This is a public-private partnership, where private developers invest 75% of the cost while funding from all levels of government will cover the rest. The City’s consultants, Urban Partners, conclude that all of these projects are feasible based on their economic analysis.

This roadmap is the result of broad community input, with the consultants spending over 130 hours collecting feedback from the community. We appreciate your participation in this project to help move our downtown forward!
   

Action Reports

2019 Year End
2018 Year End
2017 Year End
2016 Year End
2014-2015 Year End
   
City-Center-and-Engage-Logo_300px
Catalyst01_thumb

Catalyst Project #1 - Office Development and Recruitment


  • Position downtown to compete for new office development using portions of Central Lot
  • City partners with a selected, experienced developer through a competitive process
  • Estimated 154,000 square-foot new office development across three buildings
  • Current parking accommodates first 70,000 square feet; additional office will require new parking deck

 Click here to see RFQ

2

Completed - Catalyst Project #2 -  Maryland Theatre Expansion Project

  • Expand draw of downtown’s largest attraction
  • Grow from 150 to 225 performance days per year and reach an annual audience of 60,000 or more
  • Continue necessary improvements to seating and “back of house”
  • Create new entrance, offices and performance space
CatalystProject No3

Catalyst Project #3 -  USMH Expansion Support

  • Support USMH growth from 500 to 750 students
  • Add facilities for culinary arts, tourism and hospitality programs
  • Capture student housing opportunities downtown:
    • Three upper-floor renovation projects
    • 12 units to house 24 students

Click here to see the RFSI

CatalystProject No 4

Catalyst Project #4 -  Hotel/Conference Center and Heritage Center/Commemorative Park

  • Construct 200-room “Upper Upscale” hotel (i.e. Sheraton, Wyndham, Hilton)
  • Programmed with adjacent 20,000 square-foot conference center
  • Establish Civil War Heritage Center and Commemorative Park
CatalystProject No 5

Catalyst Project #5 -  Linking City Park/The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts and A&E District with Trail and New Housing

  • Construct multi-use trail linking City Park with Public Square
  • Add 31 new townhomes along trail in first 10 years (more later)
  • Rehabilitate Dagmar Hotel and three other W. Antietam buildings as 85 loft apartments
Public Art Master Plan for the Hagerstown Cultural Trail. View PDF

Hagerstown Cultural Trail website

CatalystProject No6

Catalyst Project #6 -  Expanded Downtown Arts/Events Programming

  • Build upon positive atmosphere created by events in downtown Hagerstown
  • Coordinate with Maryland Theatre programming
  • Utilize Main Street and other new funding sources to expand events
  • Establish consolidated events calendar
1

Catalyst Project #7

 -  Expanded Operations of the City Farmers Market

  • Expand from 7 to 35 hours per week in operation
  • Implement private management approach
  • Coordinate with existing tenants; recruit needed additional tenants
  • Make necessary capital improvements
  • Re-brand and promote to capture portion of estimated $13 million in unmet demand for specialty foods

Click here to see RFP

Home Ownership

Catalyst Project #8 -  Expanded and Targeted Home Ownership Support

  • Aggressively market downpayment assistance
  • Target Neighborhoods 1st support programs
  • Target Neighborhoods 1st infrastructure and amenity improvements
  • Continue acquisition, rehab and resale program
  • Establish annual rental licensing inspections
  • Continue excessive nuisance enforcement programs