April 1st, 2016 by WCBC Radio

Last month the Cumberland Economic Development Corporation conducted a public meeting to review design options for the downtown pedestrian mall, including plans that would open some or the entire mall to vehicular traffic. The purpose was to allow public review, questions, comments, and concerns related to the Baltimore Street redesign concepts. The mall was created in 1977 when Baltimore Street was "bricked-over," transforming the street into a pedestrian mall. In the following years, debate has grown over the decision to "brick the mall," with some saying it complicated parking and hurt business. The designs were developed by McCormick Taylor, a Baltimore-based engineering and design firm, in conjunction with the Sage Policy Group, an economic development consulting company also based in Baltimore. Anirban Basu is the chairman and CEO of the Sage Group. He tells WCBC News that it is clear the downtown mall is not reaching its potential when it comes to economic development, and the business climate is declining…