Talks of constructing downtown Frederick hotel and conference center resume

[Sirex]

Frederick has several nice hotels, mainly over on the Westview side off 85. But there is a hotel in the mall are that has or had sports betting that could be useable for convention like stuff. As well as close proximity to the mall, and the Tesla chargers, and restaurants.

 

[tallen702]

Frederick isn't a small town anymore. Shoot, it's not even a small city. It's a solid mid-sized city and on its way to becoming a large city in the coming decades. If the city government were smart, they'd have annexed the areas around it (Linganore etc.) a decade or more ago so that they'd have the proper tax base to handle the infrastructure needs that are arising with all this development going on around them.

Living half of my life in Charleston, WV, I CAN speak to the fact that having a convention/civic center in the middle of downtown is much preferable to one on the outskirts of town. Now that the largest urban mall east of the Mississippi is essentially defunct, the Charleston Civic Center is the main draw for hotels in downtown Charleston, WV. Concerts, conventions, competitions, expos, etc. all bring lots of business downtown that help keep the hotels, restaurants, and shops going year-round. It just wouldn't have the desired effect if pushed out to Westview or the Golden Mile. It's walkability that is key to these types of projects. Convention and show-goers want to be able to park at the hotel or convention center and then walk everywhere else (restaurants, shops, coffee, etc.) so this location, between Market and East Streets, works really well for this.

Back to the subject of the unrestricted development going on, Frederick is going to have water issues soon enough unless the development stops.

 

[TheOriginalMexicanBob]

With any government entity...it's always about the Benjamins...to quote an "esteemed" member of Congress.

 

[RFBfromDE]

Living half of my life in Charleston, WV, I CAN speak to the fact that having a convention/civic center in the middle of downtown is much preferable to one on the outskirts of town. Now that the largest urban mall east of the Mississippi is essentially defunct, the Charleston Civic Center is the main draw for hotels in downtown Charleston, WV. Concerts, conventions, competitions, expos, etc. all bring lots of business downtown that help keep the hotels, restaurants, and shops going year-round. It just wouldn't have the desired effect if pushed out to Westview or the Golden Mile. It's walkability that is key to these types of projects. Convention and show-goers want to be able to park at the hotel or convention center and then walk everywhere else (restaurants, shops, coffee, etc.) so this location, between Market and East Streets, works really well for this.

When I worked for Blue Cross on Maine Ave SW DC (Federal Employee Program) they closed up shop to move to Charleston, WV. I took the buy out instead of moving out there.

Do you know if they have since moved on?

 

[Afrikeber]

"The hotel and conference center would be located at the former site of The Frederick News-Post on East Patrick Street, and city officials have asked the county to contribute $2.5 million for acquisition, which would be nearly 70 percent of the estimated $3.7 million to purchase the property."

Talks of constructing downtown Frederick hotel and conference center resume

After a pandemic-induced pause, Frederick County and city officials met Tuesday to resume discussion about plans to build a hotel and conference center in downtown Frederick.

www.fredericknewspost.com

This is alleged to be a $70million project with commitments already in place from investors/Marriott.

Is the problem that the distressed property isn't worth the $3.7 asking price?

The City should concentrate and fast tracking permits like it's supposed to do.

Not line the pockets of property owners with public monies.

What did I miss?

Follow the money, political contributions are now flowing freely in Frederick County. They just recently voted to allow development of the Sugarloaf Mountain area with data centers! Who the hell will pay for the electricity infrastructure grid to support that? The taxpayers.

It’s the same story on both sides of the aisle, in all levels of government local, state, federal. Get rid of lobbyists their ability to contribute and do term office limits for the lifers.

 

[RFBfromDE]

Follow the money, political contributions are now flowing freely in Frederick County. They just recently voted to allow development of the Sugarloaf Mountain area with data centers! Who the hell will pay for the electricity infrastructure grid to support that? The taxpayers.

That's interesting...

The old, vacant for decades COMSAT campus must not be grifting hard enough.

 

[Afrikeber]

That's interesting...

The old, vacant for decades COMSAT campus must not be grifting hard enough.

I heard the MoCo historical planning folks wants to make that building a historical site due to its unique architecture.

 

[Afrikeber]

Frederick isn't a small town anymore. Shoot, it's not even a small city. It's a solid mid-sized city and on its way to becoming a large city in the coming decades. If the city government were smart, they'd have annexed the areas around it (Linganore etc.) a decade or more ago so that they'd have the proper tax base to handle the infrastructure needs that are arising with all this development going on around them.

Living half of my life in Charleston, WV, I CAN speak to the fact that having a convention/civic center in the middle of downtown is much preferable to one on the outskirts of town. Now that the largest urban mall east of the Mississippi is essentially defunct, the Charleston Civic Center is the main draw for hotels in downtown Charleston, WV. Concerts, conventions, competitions, expos, etc. all bring lots of business downtown that help keep the hotels, restaurants, and shops going year-round. It just wouldn't have the desired effect if pushed out to Westview or the Golden Mile. It's walkability that is key to these types of projects. Convention and show-goers want to be able to park at the hotel or convention center and then walk everywhere else (restaurants, shops, coffee, etc.) so this location, between Market and East Streets, works really well for this.

Back to the subject of the unrestricted development going on, Frederick is going to have water issues soon enough unless the development stops.

They are dumping a lot more treated sewage down the Monocacy River by the more frequent smells as I cross the bridge daily.

 

[tallen702]

When I worked for Blue Cross on Maine Ave SW DC (Federal Employee Program) they closed up shop to move to Charleston, WV. I took the buy out instead of moving out there.

Do you know if they have since moved on?

Some form of it is still around. That building was brand-new when I was a kid. It occupied the location of the old Sears Dept. Store from the time before the Charleston Town Center mall was built. My uncle worked there until he was transferred to Roanoke, VA sometime in the late 80s/early 90s. It eventually became CASCI which is still part of the BCBS umbrella but deals entirely with claims processing. They left the building that BCBS had occupied since it was built to a smaller office space after the pandemic when they realized that the vast majority of their workforce could operate remotely with little or no issue. There was no longer a need for a 700-person office when only 30 people were in the building anymore.

The building is being demolished now. Trans Canada Energy, which bought up Columbia Gas, is moving its transmission division headquarters there from the old Columbia Gas Transmission headquarters building across the river. They're building a whole new complex now.

So, yes, BCBS still has a presence in Charleston, but it may not have been in the same capacity as when you were optioned to transfer.

Now, with that in mind, if you had taken the transfer back then, it would have been a great time to be in Charleston, so long as you were back out by the early 2000s. It's not a bad place to live (or be retired for that matter) but it's not what it once was. Back in the 70s, 80s, and even the 90s, it was a fantastic place to live, work and play.

 

[RFBfromDE]

Back in the 70s, 80s, and even the 90s, it was a fantastic place to live, work and play.

Thanks!

That's what must have made it an attractive place to relocate back in the 90s.

 

[SummitCnty]

Frederick isn't a small town anymore. Shoot, it's not even a small city. It's a solid mid-sized city and on its way to becoming a large city in the coming decades. If the city government were smart, they'd have annexed the areas around it (Linganore etc.) a decade or more ago so that they'd have the proper tax base to handle the infrastructure needs that are arising with all this development going on around them.

Living half of my life in Charleston, WV, I CAN speak to the fact that having a convention/civic center in the middle of downtown is much preferable to one on the outskirts of town. Now that the largest urban mall east of the Mississippi is essentially defunct, the Charleston Civic Center is the main draw for hotels in downtown Charleston, WV. Concerts, conventions, competitions, expos, etc. all bring lots of business downtown that help keep the hotels, restaurants, and shops going year-round. It just wouldn't have the desired effect if pushed out to Westview or the Golden Mile. It's walkability that is key to these types of projects. Convention and show-goers want to be able to park at the hotel or convention center and then walk everywhere else (restaurants, shops, coffee, etc.) so this location, between Market and East Streets, works really well for this.

Back to the subject of the unrestricted development going on, Frederick is going to have water issues soon enough unless the development stops.

Frederick Co./Frederick City was in a big water crunch in the late 90's early 2000's then they brought the new pipeline in from the river up Rt 28. You could see the development take off right after they did like they had an unlimited supply.