Wednesday, March 18, 2015

This Week on Carroll Creek: March 18, 2015

The snow is melting, revealing the progress on Carroll Creek Park.  With warmer weather ahead, work will continue to build the shared use paths and Phase II improvements. These images show recent work and progress along the creek.  








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About the Next Phase of Carroll Creek Park

This next phase of park improvements will include new and widened multi-use paths, landscape planters, lighting, water features and crosswalk improvements. The work will occur primarily between Bentz and S. Market Street and between the Delaplaine Arts Center and East Patrick Street. More than $100M in new and renovated private construction is planned along the new park/path sections which will eventually result in hundreds of new jobs and increased state and local tax revenue. 

City of Frederick Day 2015 Showcases Frederick Projects

View all photos from this year's City of Frederick Day in Annapolis: http://bit.ly/cofpics

Thursday, March 12, 2015 marked City of Frederick Day in Annapolis. Each year, the City of Frederick and its partners update legislators and state leaders on City projects and reports on the key infrastructure and growth projects underway. 

"This provides a unique opportunity for Frederick to really showcase our community and the projects that are moving Frederick forward," said Richard Griffin, Director of Economic Development for the City of Frederick. The Department of Economic Development coordinates with the Mayor's office and city departments each year to plan the event.


The attendance for 2015 was strong, with representation from state delegates, senators, legislative aides, and cabinet secretaries. This year, the event had a visit from
Congressman John K. Delaney (MD-6), who was in Annapolis that day. He addressed the group and emphasized the importance of the proposed new hotel and conference center in Downtown Frederick.
  
Projects highlighted at City of Frederick Day 2015 included the Downtown Hotel and Conference Center / Parking Deck 6, Weinberg Center for the Arts HVAC Replacement, Frederick Municipal Airport expansion, Monocacy Boulevard/US 15 Interchange, Culler Lake Renaissance in Baker Park, Waste Water Treatment Plant Upgrades, and Carroll Creek Park Phase II. To learn more about these projects, visit http://bit.ly/cofday2015

This event was made possible by a number of sponsors and partners, including The Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, the Tourism Council of Frederick County, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Fort Detrick Alliance, Frederick County Office of Economic Development, The Golden Mile Alliance, Tech Frederick, and Downtown Frederick Partnership.  

Gift bags were provided to elected officials thanks to support from McCutcheon's and The Perfect Truffle. 

View the photo album with photo highlights from this year's City of Frederick Day in Annapolis: http://bit.ly/cofpics
Thank you to our 2015 City of Frederick Day Sponsors


Tuesday, March 10, 2015

International Documentaries Showcase Frederick's Entrepreneurial Spirit

Sam Delgado, 21, Founder and Creative Director of The Surge Agency, discusses their creative work for the media team from Niger. The team was in Frederick filming a documentary on business development for youth and young entrepreneurs on March 8-10, 2015. 


Across the globe, developing countries are working towards building an entrepreneurial business climate, and some are looking to Frederick as an example. The City of Frederick’s Department of Economic Development works collaboratively with the State Department to host media teams from developing countries to film documentaries on topics such as entrepreneurism, business development, and government support for start-up businesses.

To date, Frederick has worked with teams from Iraq, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Romania, and most recently, Niger. 

"Frederick is an ideal location for this type of documentary," says Richard Griffin, Economic Development Director for the City of Frederick. "We have a growing business community, strong entrepreneurs, and programs in place to assist businesses at all stages of growth."   

The most recent media team from Niger was in Frederick March 8-10, 2015, and focused on business development for youth.  During their visit, they met with organizations that have programs that help youth prepare for business opportunities and interviewed young entrepreneurs in our community.

Frederick businesses on their itinerary for interviews included The Surge Agency, Zach's Auto Clinic, and Cakes to Die For. All three of these business owners have launched their businesses at a young age and are examples of the entrepreneurial spirit that is in the Frederick community.


Sam Delgado of The Surge Agency about to begin his interview.
Youth development programs and entrepreneurial support organizations on their itinerary included My Bank! First United Bank & Trust on small business loans, Frederick County Workforce Services on their youth services and summer jobs program, The City of Frederick Economic Development Department, the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, Seeds of Life youth development program, and Frederick County Public School's Career and Technology Center and Finance Academy at T.J. High School. 

"The seek to tell the whole story of what it takes to have a healthy business community - from an individual's personal drive to the small business loans needed to launch a company," said Griffin.  

If you are a business located in the City of Frederick and are interested in being featured in future documentaries or other opportunities to discuss your business, please contact the City's Department of Economic Development

 Kuwait TV Documentary Film

View the documentary that was filmed in Frederick in 2014 and broadcast on Kuwait TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEo3Z7OC-Sg

Monday, March 9, 2015

City of Frederick Day in Annapolis Highlights Priority Projects

Thursday, March 12, 2015 is City of Frederick Day in Annapolis. Each year, the City of Frederick updates legislators and state leaders on select City projects and reports on the key infrastructure and growth projects underway.

Below are the projects that will be highlighted at this year's City of Frederick Day in Annapolis.

Together We Can Grow Frederick’s Future
Building a Stronger and Safer Maryland

Downtown Hotel and Conference Center / Parking Deck 6

The City of Frederick is partnering with a hotel developer, selected through a competitive RFP process, to construct a privately owned and operated $64M full-service hotel and conference center in Downtown Frederick. The public on-site improvements, including public parking, will cost approximately $20M. This is the top priority of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce’s Major Employers Group, and projected to offer many benefits, including:
  • 207 rooms with 24,000 square feet of meeting space
  • Public Parking Garages: 750 spaces (100 on-site/650 off-site)
  • 280 total jobs
  • $1.5M annually in State taxes
  • $25.8M in direct, indirect, and induced spending



Weinberg Center for the Arts HVAC Replacement
HB0364/SB0024

The Weinberg Center for the Arts is a 1,100 seat historic performing arts theater that generates 70,000 patrons and $7M in economic impact annually. The facility is in need of a HVAC replacement to continue providing programming throughout the year. After analysis by a HVAC engineering company, full replacement was recommended. The new system will provide:
  • Operational and maintenance savings in the future
  • Control of separate areas of the theater
  • Efficient and environmentally-friendly design
        




Frederick Municipal Airport
Increasing Airport Safety and Capacity

Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK) is the second busiest airport in Maryland and well positioned to become the preferred executive airport in the region. It is seeking funding to support Phase I of a multi-year project to improve airport safety and capacity. 

This phase will include:
  • Design and demolition of aviation obstructions along Bailes Lane, etc.
  • Washington gas line relocation
  • The project will ultimately result in added capacity with corporate hangar space and extend the runway.


Monocacy Boulevard/US15 Interchange Improves Safety and Relieves Congestion
The #1 Infrastructure Priority for Frederick City and County for over 5 years

The Monocacy Boulevard and US15 Interchange will provide a full-diamond interchange, improving safety by eliminating at-grade intersections on US15. Design is complete, and construction is scheduled to begin in 2015.  The project provides:
  • Congestion relief from pass through traffic, local development, and Fort Detrick growth
  • Hiking and biking tails, sidewalks, on-street bike lanes, lighting, landscaping, and pedestrian accommodations
  • Park and Ride with 390 spaces connects to future Rails With Trails
  • This improvement complements other road improvements, such as Monocacy Boulevard Center Section Phase II, which will add 14,000 linear feet of a 4-lane roadway, alleviate congestion, create safe routes for emergency access during flood events, and add hiking/biking trails, sidewalks, and trees


Culler Lake Renaissance in Baker Park
Restoring water quality and aesthetic character

Culler Lake, in the heart of Baker Park, was established 90 years ago. Today, the park is in need of restoration to improve water quality and the aesthetic character of the lake. In partnership with Friends of Baker Park, a two-phased plan is in place to address the restoration. The project will:
  • Dredge and restore Culler Lake (Phase I)
  • Install wetlands and stormwater infrastructure to treat approximately 60 acres of untreated impervious area (Phase I)
  • Add new shared use paths and fountains (Phase I)
  • Add a pavilion and overlook, additional paths, benches, signage, pedestrian crossing and entrance features, and skate house improvements (Phase II)

  
Cleaner Water Starts Here: Waste Water Treatment Plant Upgrades
Phase II Brings Enhanced Nutrient Removal (ENR) Upgrade

Phase I Upgrades— Complete
Frederick is in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and our waterways impact the bay’s health and local sustainability. Phase I upgrades to the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) have:
  • Improved solids digestion component of the plant
  • Enabled the harvesting of methane gas while virtually eliminating reliance on landfill for waste sludge
  • Reduced the city’s energy costs through co-generating electricity
Phase II Upgrades—In Progress
Phase II of the project brings an enhanced nutrient removal (ENR) upgrade to the system. Already designed, construction is expected to start in March 2015 with completion in December 2016. These upgrades:
  • Bring the waste water treatment plant into compliance with recent EPA mandates for ENR
  • Will reduce nitrogen and phosphorus discharges to the Chesapeake Bay and tributaries

Carroll Creek Park Phase II Completion on Target for Fall 2015
A thriving world-class, mixed use urban park in Downtown Frederick

This public-private partnership has spanned six administrations. Carroll Creek Park, as a  flood control project, effectively removed Downtown Frederick from the 100-year
floodplain and restored economic vitality to the historic commercial district.
Today, more than $100 million in private investment is underway or planned in new construction, infill development, or historic renovation along the park. Phase II provides:
  • Extended park improvements totaling $15.7M in construction
  • 1 mile of new and widened multi-use paths
  • Landscape planters, lighting & water features
  • Crosswalk improvements
  • More than $100M in new and renovated private construction is planned along the new park/path sections, which will eventually result in hundreds of new jobs and increased state and local tax revenue