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CUMBERLAND — City officials discussed a lack of funding Tuesday for the Will’s Hotel planned for the McCleve Building on Baltimore Street.
Cumberland Gov. Jeff Silka said the cost of renovating the building was estimated to be about $4 million, but subsequent bids for the project were at least $600,000 higher, and the building’s owner was under a debt limit. It added that it had reached .
The city will contribute $100,000 to make up the difference, with $250,000 each coming from Allegany County and the Sen. George C. Edwards Fund.
“Without additional funding, they cannot move forward,” Silka said.
The building’s owner could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Silka referred the Cumberland Times News to Ruth Davis Rogers, the city’s historic preservation planner, who asked for contact information for one of the building’s owners, Brian Gilbride. refused the offer.
“He said he was not ready to promote it yet,” she said in an email.
“It’s not uncommon for nonprofits, as well as building and business owners, to receive grants and funding,” Davis-Rogers said.
“Typically, the funds allocated for this do not come from local taxes, but from funds given to the government to support businesses,” she said.
architectural plans
The McCleve Building was designed before 1875 and is one of two Italianate buildings on Baltimore Street.
Its most notable features, according to state planning officials, are “the highly decorative cornices along the street-facing façade and the upper window decorations.”
The Maryland Department of Assessment and Taxation lists the owner of the 13,418-square-foot building as Ohio-based 69 Baltimore LLC.
City officials say the interior of the building, built in 1900, is in poor condition and will be completely renovated into a 20-room boutique hotel for tourists, corporate clients and cyclists.
There are also plans to include a restaurant on the first floor of the building.
financial incentive
The building, which was most recently home to Manhattan Social, a restaurant that closed after the coronavirus pandemic, was among 10 Maryland establishments selected to receive improvement incentives last year. It was one of them.
The Maryland Historic Trust awarded more than $20 million in historic revitalization tax credits for these projects, according to the state Planning Department in December.
Eighteen applicants sought tax credits of more than $55 million for construction projects with a total estimated cost of more than $305 million.
Projects selected for 2024 tax credits were based on an established set of criteria, including those outlined by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior for the restoration of historic buildings.
The McCleve Building was awarded $1.4 million in tax credits.
“Key piece”
Cumberland’s mayor and city council appeared to support donating $100,000 to the project Tuesday.
“I’m in favor of it,” said City Councilman Eugene Frazier.
“I think it’s a very important building,” Councilman Laurie Marchini said. “It brings a lot to Baltimore Street.”
The City Council is expected to vote on the city’s funding for the project next month.
Jake Shade, executive director of the George Edwards Fund, said Thursday that he expects the fund to approve $250,000 in stock.
“That will be on Monday’s agenda,” he said.
Allegany County Economic and Community Development Director Jeff Barclay said funding from the three organizations is needed.
“This is how we resolve the gap and move this project forward,” he said Thursday.
Barclay said the boutique hotel and restaurant will provide a “key element” to the success of the Baltimore Street project.
“I think that’s why we’re all coming together to solve the problem of underfunding,” he said.
Barclay said city and county officials and elected officials have worked well together on Will’s Hotel and other projects.
“We’re in a good position right now,” he said. “The momentum is amazing.”
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