News about business attraction, job creation, and economic impact studies
The BDC has released a Request for Quote for a feasbility study of the future development of the National Historic Tome School for Boys. All quotes are DUE FEBRUARY 29, 2016 by 5PM Eastern Time via eletronic submission.
All details are listed in the RFQ (attached here). Any questions should be directed to Toni Lozzi at 410-378-9200 or TLOZZI@bainbridgedev.org
The follow activities report was presented in public session at the Board of Director’s meeting on September 21, 2015.
Tome Tours
We began hosting the tours in May and continued to have them held one day per month to encourage folks to safely access the campus. Each tour was taken around the entire campus and given an over history of tome and details about each of the structures. Participants ranged from young children to the elderly. I purposefully kept the groups smaller so that we could allow participants to get off of the bus and see the buildings up closer while still being able to oversee where everyone was. There were a lot of locals that came to the tours, but we also have people come from as far as DC and Philadelphia. A lot of photographers jumped at the opportunity to capture the buildings and even share those photos with the BDC. In July, a gentlemen attended the tour that worked as an officer for NAPS and had has office set in Memorial Hall. His office was down in the bottom level of the building, so I did not feel comfortable taking him down there due to the fire, but we were able to capture the same photograph of him on the steps of Memorial Hall just as he did on his last day at NAPS. From May to August, we had over 200 participants join the tours.
Tome Alumni Luncheon
Following the establishment of the Tome summer tours, a representative from the Tome School Alumni Organization reached out to me about hosting a tour of some kind for the folks from Tome School. Initially, I planned an entire weekend event for them, but the Tome folks thought that might be too much for a first event and that we should keep it simpler. Instead, we decided to have a tour followed by a lunch in the garden. Our initial projection was 50-75 participants, and we ended up with over 125! The day started in the late morning with a check-in and then busing everyone back to the campus. The Italian Garden was set-up to enjoy a catered lunch provided by the Old Smokehouse in Port Deposit. We had a large tent in the top-center of the garden where everyone came through to receive their food and refreshments, and then tables were set up throughout the shaded area of the garden for lunch. We had to adjust our day’s activities due to the larger number of folks, and allow for 2 groups to be in the garden while the 3rd would take the tour. We took a bus tour around the campus seeing of the buildings and sharing the history of Tome School. Once in the garden, folks were allowed to walk about and see the beauty of the campus, all while being supervised by our volunteers to ensure no one was wandering or going to buildings. We had a lot of current Tome School students and teachers come with their families, we also had descendants of Tome alumni and former military men. One gentlemen was 94 years old, he had come from Annapolis to participate with his granddaughter. And he remembered his way around the base as if he had just left. Luckily we were able to cover the entire cost of the event from ticket sales alone, while also keeping the cost at a minimal $10 per person. We actually came in under budget, which is always a great thing! That is due in large part to the donations we received. The VFW allowed for us to use their tables, chairs and tent for no charge, the Cecil Truck drivers provided us a driver and bus for the day, and I was able to rope in my family to help run the event. It was a great success and we received excellent feedback in the survey we sent. One a 5 point scale, the average score for the overall event was a 4.63 and the score for recommending the event to friends and family was a 4.81! A lot of folks asked if we could do this yearly. If the Board supports holding the event again next year, I suggest we hold it in the fall for cooler weather and an even more breathtaking scenery.
Bainbridge Sunday
Sunday September 13 the Bainbridge Museum held their annual Bainbridge Sunday event. This year the museum provided buses for the tours which made a wonderful difference because it allowed for me to talk to the participants directly rather than driving and talking! We took 5 rounds of tours, the first two tours having 2 full buses, the final 3 having just one bus, totaling 201 participants for the event! The day ran very smoothly, thanks to the excellent support from the Museum. There was a gentlemen in his 90’s that trained over 1000 men while at Bainbridge. And he still remembered where each regiment was during the operating days. As usual, folks returning back were shocked to see that the once boisterous NTCB was open land. But everyone was very thankful for the opportunity to come back.
WAVES
Early in the summer, a former WAVE contacted me that they were holding their reunion in Lancaster PA September 13-15 and asked if they would be able to take a tour of the property. After Board approval, I let them know that it would be great to have them. On Tuesday September 15, 2 busses full of former WAVES came to Port Deposit for the day. While one bus was taking the tour, the other was downtown seeing all the treasures at the Museum. Almost none of them had been back to the property since they left and while they knew it was gone they were so shocked to see it empty. Luckily, their barracks, Hunter Hall, is still standing and they were extremely excited to see it still there, hidden slightly behind trees. We took them by the old “grinder”, which was their drill field. They said they call it that because they marched so much they ground their feet into the cement.The women shared with me stories of boot camp, what daily life was like, the only time they got to go on liberty (Lancaster, which is why they held their reunion there), what they transitioned into after boot camp and why they enlisted to begin with. While driving through their “neck of the woods”, and by the grinder, they started to sing their old navy songs that they sang while marching. They also remembered their identification numbers and did a sound off on the bus. The women were wonderful and so thankful to be allowed back. IT was an amazing experience for me to get to spend time so closely with these women and hear their stories. Often while running tours I had to handle everything and don’t get to converse with the folks and hear their stories as much, so this was a wonderful surprise. Plus, it was the first time I have ever had ANY WAVES. And their stories are much different to hear then the former Navy men. In total, there were a little under 100 women that came. After both tours were finished, I sent all the women to Lee’s Landing for a wonderful lunch and shared some spots in town for them to see while they enjoyed their last 2 hours in Port.
This past Monday, May 11, 2015, the Bainbridge Development Corporation (BDC) was pleased to host the Sustainable Growth Commission (SGC) at the Donaldson Brown Center for their bi-monthly commission meeting. The SGC is an entity of the Maryland Department of Planning that the State developed in 2010 to make recommendations on growth issues within the state of Maryland. The Commission is made up of representatives from State and Local government, private business and non-profit organizations.
The BDC offered to host the May 11th meeting with the intent to educate the Commission members and State agencies, with the priorities of Cecil County, Port Deposit, and Bainbridge, and how those agencies play a vital role.
Members met at the Donaldson Brown Center, another historical and architectural ornament in Cecil County, and we’re first taken on a tour of downtown Port Deposit and then onto the Bainbridge site. Merely reading a fact sheet, or seeing the Bainbridge location on a digital map does not do justice to the property. Commission members were able to see the magnitude of the land, its prime location, and the incredible potential that Bainbridge holds. In addition, Commission members gained a better understanding of the Tome School campus and the magnificence that sits tucked away in a corner of Port Deposit.
Following the tour, the group reconvened back at the Donaldson Brown Center. County Council President Robert Hodge welcomed the Commission and discussed several of the issues the County is facing that affects growth in the County. Port Deposit Mayor Wayne Tome and Town Administrator Vicky Rinkerman touted the inviting attributes Port Deposit has to offer and the investments being made in downtown including the new welcome center and research facility, rebuilding their storm water drainage system, working with the US Army Corp of Engineers on flood mitigation, and an updated streetscape. County Representatives discussed the needs of the county including infrastructure updates and the new proposed WWTP in Port Deposit.
BDC’s Executive Director communicated the value and importance of developing Bainbridge and where each of the State agencies can play a key role in bringing the project to fruition. The Commission members were updated on current issues and the status of discussions with the Navy. But the most important detail, was showcasing how the Bainbridge project fits into every goal and category of the SGC and that if there was a project in Maryland that needs their attention, and aligns with their charter, it is certainly this one. The BDC recognized the uniqueness of having members of so many influential state agencies in one room to discuss the roles they can all play in securing a successful future at Bainbridge that will be an economic engine for the Town, the County and the State. Members of the Department of Transportation, Environment, Planning, Housing and Community Development, Business and Economic Development, and Natural Resources, just to name a few, were actively engaged in the discussion and eager to help the project.
Having discussions like this and one held in April with the Cecil Delegation is exactly the catalyst needed to bring all parties together to work in unison and bring development to Bainbridge.
A tremendous amount of appreciation goes to the SGC for allowing the BDC to host the meeting and help make Bainbridge a state priority.
“It seemed appropriate that the county’s Economic Development Commission (EDC) was at the Donaldson Brown Center to hear a talk about the development of Bainbridge.
Brown was a financial titan of his era and the mansion, perched on a cliff with breathtaking views of the Susquehanna River, is a testament to his prestige and love of this area. From what I have heard about him, Brown would have loved this challenge.
Bainbridge Development Corporation (BDC) executive director Donna Tapley said she is looking for the support and energy of the EDC to help make Bainbridge a priority economic development site in the county.
As the economy has improved, there have been more prospects tapping on Bainbridge’s door to look at the enormous, undeveloped site. Unfortunately, infrastructure issues, lack of incentives and the need to get the U.S. Navy to settle on continuing pollution problems have made it difficult to get anyone to sign on the dotted line.
Tapley said one of the partner developers even brought a prospect exclusively to Bainbridge, but the same prospect was working through the state and was directed to another site in Cecil County. County Economic Development Director Lisa Webb explained that prospects are assigned different names by economic development entities to allow companies to freely look at options without setting off alarms where they currently base their business so the county office had no idea the BDC and county economic development office were working with the same company.
But the BDC wants to get an equal footing in order to set the hook and reel-in prospects. They are actively looking into Enterprise Zone status for Bainbridge as well as a designation of a Sustainable Community. Both come with incentives for those companies that settle there.
The BDC also has plans to increase the sewer capacity and add sewer pipes. They will look for funding sources.
Artesian Water, which offers water within Port Deposit’s town limits, has said they can get 240,000 gallons of water to the serve the site within 60 days, if needed, Tapley said.
The Navy was given a revised appraisal which is being reviewed.
While some may lament that it seems that it is taking forever for the Navy to act, Tapley said the Navy is being very responsive.
“The Navy exceeds their usual pace with this,” she said.
One of the things the BDC is trying to get across to the Navy is that the community has suffered losses because of the initial lack of movement to get rid of pollution problems and the time that has elapsed since new pollution issues were discovered by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2010. Tapley said these include the town needing to turn their water resources to a private company, the loss of a partner who was rehabbing the old Tome School and the loss of Cecil College’s math and tech building which was slated to be constructed on the Bainbridge site, but had to be moved to the North East campus or the college would have lost funding for the project.
Throughout this long process with the Navy, the BDC decided they needed to revise their concept for the site. They first wanted to get Bainbridge to be more of a research and development facility, but have broadened their vision to include distribution and manufacturing.
This new plan was unveiled before Port Deposit’s town board in January and presented to the County Executive and Cecil County Council in February. Tapley said the BDC is now working with the town to modify their comprehensive plan and zoning to work with the new concept.
Tapley said the BDC views the arson at the Tome School’s Memorial Hall as being catastrophic, but vows the site will someday be rehabilitated and put to good use. Anyone who takes on the project will find that 100 acres of land around the historic school is included in the deal.
Tapley said she is before the EDC to get ideas and encouragement for Bainbridge’s development. It is the same reason that the town of Port Deposit is planning informational signs in the downtown and why there are regular tours of the site – to get the buzz going about the possibilities at Bainbridge.
Bainbridge is at a critical point, Tapley told the EDC. She expressed optimism that the BDC’s plans will result in Bainbridge becoming an economic asset to Cecil County.”
By: Cheryl Mattix and Jane Bellmyer, Cecil Whig
Photo by Cheryl Mattix
Bainbridge Development Corporation and developers for the 1,200- acre former U.S. Navy base unveiled a new, more industrial vision for the property Tuesday to Cecil County Council.
At the same time, they reached out to the county to help them get 600 feet of new sewer line extended from the property to the county-owned sewage treatment plant in Port Deposit.
“Sewer line extension is critical to move this forward,” said Ken Michaels, a development partner for Bainbridge, along with John Paterakis and Richard Alter.
“This would allow us to actively market the property,” BDC Chairman Michael R. Pugh added.
“We all need to work together to get this connection done,” he said, calling it “the single most important issue right now.”
Michaels said his best guess is that officials could start development at Bainbridge by the end of this year, depending on a settlement with the Navy and meeting their water and sewer needs.
This new vision is primarily commercial and industrial usage with only 150 acres at the former Tome School site set aside for a mixture of office, educational and residential uses.
“Our original vision is un-doable now because of the amount of mitigation needed for residential development,” Pugh said.
The new vision is thought to be more practical and less costly by those involved.
“It’s more short-term achievable,” Pugh said.
BDC leadership has been negotiating with the U.S. Navy for the last few years to find a way to clean up the site, pay for it and redevelop the 1,200 acres into a viable taxable use, which would also create jobs and boost the economy.
Port Deposit Mayor Wayne Tome likes the new plan, which was presented to the town council a week earlier.
“We’re going to work with the Bainbridge Development Corporation to resurrect it,” Tome said Tuesday. “We’ve already been talking about it.”
One of the first projects for the town is to change its comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance to include this new concept, which scales back houses in favor of industry. The town also has to annex a small portion of land that was missed 20 years ago when a majority of the Bainbridge was annexed into town limits.
“We’re looking at light industrial, straight up to warehouse distribution,” Michaels said.
“We’ve had at least six new seriously interested prospects,” said Donna Tapley, executive director of the BDC, indicating that they lost a “really good food distributor prospect.”
Michaels confirmed the loss, saying the prospect needed to move quickly and needed a water and sewer promise, which the developers were not able to make.
He told the county council Tuesday that his development group is moving ahead with an economic feasibility study for the new vision.
“Industrial use generates one heck-of-an income and a lot of taxes,” said Michaels, who has been in the real estate development business in Maryland for more than 50 years. “You’ll be flabbergasted.”
Tome said he is prepared to work with the developer to make the new plan a reality. What he doesn’t want, however, is for the property to become nothing but warehouses.
“We want some high-tech companies in there,” he said. “There’s still potential for some of that.”
For Tome, productivity is the key to the success of the project.
“The site is not producing any jobs, it’s not producing any tax revenue,” he said. “I’m tired of the ups and downs.”
Michaels said he believes Bainbridge is “the perfect place for an industrial park.”
“It’s got electric, gas, railroad, water and access to Interstate 95,” he said. “What else can you ask for?”
The development partners for the bulk of Bainbridge have no contractual obligation to the formerTome School site, Pugh explained to the county council.
“We set aside 100 acres to accompany the 50 acres of Tome School as an ancillary parcel to make it more attractive to a developer. Under any scenario, this site will require some heavy lifting,” Pugh said.
In the short-term, the BDC and the development team hopes to attract commercial industrial users to the site, admitting they have more hoops to go through, but they feel it is a viable solution.
“We are still actively working with the State Fire Marshall’s Office on their investigation of the fire at Memorial Hall. We cannot comment on the investigation at this time but when there is a public update available, we will certainly provide that right away.
We are also working with the Deputy Fire Marshall and the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office to find the best solution for the ongoing security issues at Bainbridge.
We recently completed our semi-annual operations and maintenance inspection at the property. The report came back quite favorable. The only requested repairs to be made, are to the breaches in the fencing along 276. We have been focusing our property maintenance efforts on repairing the breaches along the entire property line and have made excellent progress in the past two months. Inspections are performed following the repairs and then we proceed to check the breaches to see if they are staying closed. We are very pleased to report that the repairs are holding and we are now working on closures along 276.
While Memorial Hall is something of great importance to the Town of Port Deposit, Cecil County and the BDC, we unfortunately do not have an update to provide at this time. We are still evaluating options for moving forward.”
-Provided by Toni Lozzi, Project Coordinator
