December 6th, 2019 by WCBC Radio
The price tag currently sits at $9.4 million- and while there is still a funding gap- city officials hope to see groundbreaking for the Baltimore Street Access Project sometime in the fall of next year. Much like the cost of the project which originally was estimated to be in the 4 to 6 million dollar range- the projected construction dates have also been moving- changing from spring to summer and now to October of 2020. Price tags and start-up dates shifting for such a project is not unusual however- and all involved in the effort are remaining optimistic. Once the project- which calls for the replacement of underground utility lines, followed by reinstalling Baltimore Street and adding streetscape upgrades- does get underway it will likely take 18 months to complete- currently placing a completion date somewhere in the spring of 2022. As the funding puzzle is still coming together- CEDC executive director Paul Kelly is quick to point out that despite the big budget- the Baltimore project is not taking away from other city projects. Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss…
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December 06, 2019 at 6:11 am, jim said:
What a glorious waste of money that will have little to no economic impact.
December 06, 2019 at 10:09 am, Jay said:
The downtown renovation is not a bad idea. The underground infrastructure is badly in need of replacement. They were able to secure the grant money because these types of upgrades had to be made under a roadway, not a pedestrian walkway. That is the main reason for opening Balt St up to traffic. However, it will have little or no impact on the state of the downtown mall. Motorists will now be able to drive by empty store fronts instead of walk by them, and it may also scatter our indigent population.
December 06, 2019 at 6:37 am, Zufall said:
Here is one gleaming example of why the CEDC should not be trusted with the County’s Economic Development. This is not a case of build it and the funding will come. The CEDC can’t successfully manage a project to completion. They shouldn’t touch one brick till they have the whole 9.4 million in the bank!
December 06, 2019 at 7:22 am, Steve said:
Just wait…………This group will devastate the County and everything within it. Big Mistake giving them any responsibility. Check the Board of Directors members out, it will be more obvious to the taxpayers after you do.
December 06, 2019 at 7:38 am, Paolo Primavera said:
Hey Why Don’t We IMPEACH The Board of Directors as I’m sure we have some legal reason to pursue. This time we will keep it NON-PARTISAN.
December 06, 2019 at 9:25 am, Zufall said:
WAIT! Now the Downtown Mall Manager and the Events Coordinator are stepping down just before this major change? You’d expect their input and involvement to be key to facilitating this transition. My guess would be Kelly and Miller didn’t like the competition or sharing any leadership of this project and forced them out. There is a story here get the news room on this pronto!
December 06, 2019 at 10:03 am, Jay said:
The downtown manager resigned for personal reasons. Had nothing to do with local politics. She was not “forced out” in any way, shape, or form.
December 06, 2019 at 10:57 am, Zufall said:
Every story has two sides.
December 06, 2019 at 9:48 am, Kevin said:
As always, we are taking the ‘let’s hope for a miracle’ method of funding. Brilliant. Just brilliant.
December 06, 2019 at 3:25 pm, j.r. lepley said:
why don’t we just raise the property taxes again,or better yet, cut some of the big paychecks that the city and county employee s get,, they are all overpaid for what they do,espeacilly the higher up s !!! if we paid them for what they actually do,we could save a fortune!!!
December 07, 2019 at 9:08 am, Mark said:
Can’t finish Canal Place or the Rolling Mill follies so let’s throw away millions more on something else that is just as useless! But the locals keep electing these corrupt clowns so it serves them right I guess.
December 07, 2019 at 9:11 am, Mark said:
p.s. glad they’re not ‘wasting’ tax money on decrepit water lines, closed bridges, schools and other useless things! smh.