December 4th, 2019 by WCBC Radio
It has been five years now since talks first surfaced about a city plan to purchase and demolish homes in an area of town commonly referred to as the Rolling Mill neighborhood. While the project is taking much longer than the city ever anticipated – it appears as though progress is continuing with more properties slated for demolition in the very near future. The plans call for a plaza off Interstate 68 at Maryland Avenue called Cumberland Gateway. The plaza would be between Emily and Williams streets and Maryland Avenue and Park Street. The proposal included a hotel, fast-service restaurant, sit-down restaurant, a convenience store and shops. One of the major obstacles has been a handful of property owners not willing to sell. And while there has been talk of moving ahead with the project as a build around- privately developers hope to have all the properties secured before breaking ground. Cumberland Economic Development Corporation executive director Paul Kelly provided the Mayor and City Council with the latest information during a Tuesday work session. He said that demolitions are currently planned for three properties at the corner of Maryland Avenue and others on Emily and Cecilia streets…
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December 04, 2019 at 10:13 am, Kevin said:
LOL. There is no plan. Never was. The ‘plan’ is a dream that will turn into a new McDonalds, a Dhereollar Store and a traffic nightmare. Everything we have been told about this is false. The developer said he could do a build around. He doesn’t want to. Ray was opposed to eminent domain before he was for it. There will not be a big bump in the tax base. The 6.5 million will take a hundred years to recover.
And now there is a plan to turn the CEDC loose on the county and greater Tri-State region. That is going to be one very large hole they are digging.
December 04, 2019 at 11:58 am, Bob said:
The city is bending over even further than usual for this folly. The millions will never be recovered and likely over a hundred years to repay (or much less to default). In the 1970′s, about a million was borrowed to brick over Baltimore Street and took over 40 years to repay, several times over of course. The city’s current prospects are far worse than in the 70′s but our leaders feel that the best thing to do when in a hole of debt is to keep digging.
December 04, 2019 at 1:25 pm, Ed Dodrill said:
They need a new developer. I don’t see the dedication from the current one.
December 06, 2019 at 4:59 am, Mark said:
> HAHAHA, a new developer??? LMAO. Develop what exactly?? There is no one outfit or thing that can fix this ‘Grim’s Folly’! Get use to the open fields there!