December 19th, 2020 by WCBC Radio

Area elected officials and project developers gathered on a blustery Friday afternoon in a plot of land covered with snow and mostly mud for the official groundbreaking ceremony to kickoff construction of the Cumberland Gateway plaza. The ceremony was held in a vacant lot between Cecilia and Emily streets off of Park Street. Cumberland Gateway — sometimes referred to as the Rolling Mill project — is a planned commercial plaza off eastbound Interstate 68 at Exit 43D between Maryland Avenue and Park Street. Once completed, the plaza is expected to include a hotel, sit-down restaurant, fast service restaurant, convenience store and shops. Ed Scott, principal with the project developer Klein Scott Visco Commercial Real Estate, said the project will be done in phases with site preparation beginning immediately. While negotiations continue to purchase the remaining properties- Scott acknowledged it has been a difficult process