November 18th, 2019 by WCBC Radio
Situated in one of the premier locations in the downtown business district- the Cumberland Times News building at the corner of Baltimore and Mechanic streets has long been viewed as having tremendous potential for economic development and tourism opportunities. With the printing operations moved to Johnstown in March of 2018- the local newspaper facilities now house just the news and advertising divisions. The Cumberland Economic Development Corporation has acknowledged interest in the building. Placing a more commercial business at the 19 Baltimore Street address- or even razing the warehouse/print section of the building- could go a long way toward establishing a much stronger connectivity between the downtown business district and the Shops at Canal Place. Stu Czapski is executive director of the Allegany County Chamber of Commerce…
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November 18, 2019 at 1:27 pm, mac said:
Yes, excellent idea. Throw yet one more iron into the fire. That will make how many projects started, I don’t know. How many completed? None.
It might make good common sense to actually finish the projects that have been started before attempting to add any more. Let’s see.
1.The steam railroad whose ridership is down.
Two steam locomotives but neither of them
run. Charges of mismanagement and lack of
maintenance.
2.Canal Place that won’t draw anyone for
lack of anything to see or do.
3.The proposed River Park, in the planning
stage which means more consultant fees.
Nothing started.
4.Baltimore St. No work expected to start
until summer of 2020. That is assuming that
all of the funding will be in place. Of
course the costs will continue to rise.
5.Rolling Mills. No work started as the City
is trying to work up the nerve to throw
families out of their homes so that
Cumberland will be graced with another fast
food restaurant and a convenience store.
November 18, 2019 at 1:50 pm, mac said:
> How could I have forgotten the re watering of the canal? One more item to add to the list that may or may not get any further than it has for the last 8 or 10 years.
November 18, 2019 at 2:30 pm, mac said:
> I suppose I should mention the new proposed boutique hotel as it is a separate item on Baltimore St. I understand that the building has been purchased but no word on a contractor to do the work so now idea of the final cost.
November 18, 2019 at 9:18 pm, Jay said:
Does the $9 mil price tag on the downtown makeover include the boutique hotel build-out?
November 18, 2019 at 2:42 pm, Zufall said:
Matt Miller would be better eating more wings and drinking more beer than dreaming up these crazy projects he and Paul Kelly can’t complete. And now they want to give these clowns the keys to the county? WHAT. A. JOKE!
November 19, 2019 at 4:37 am, Mark said:
Well said ‘Mac’
November 19, 2019 at 4:40 am, Mark said:
Here’s a CRAZY idea, buy the Times bldg. & tear it down to FINALLY facilitate traffic at that bottleneck. In other words, do what was originally planned, but as Mac says, that would go against city policy of NEVER finishing ANYTHING!!
November 19, 2019 at 6:30 am, mac said:
> They could, and I make that could as opposed to should, remove the CTN building and make a dedicated free parking lot to serve Baltimore St., Canal Place, and the RR Station.
Parking downtown is woefully lacking and the CEDC seems determined to want to bring in tourists so they really should have somewhere to park.
I make that could because, as everyone knows, the CEDC has this grandiose need to build, build, build. While we wait, wait, wait.