Written by Carmen Hilton, Program Manager
The Efforts of Many
In June of this year, I led a tour of downtown Brunswick, which was attended by over 40 people. I was thrilled by the turnout! The tour lasted 1.5 hours and was packed full of information. By the end, I was a bit hoarse but incredibly excited to share all the projects. I surprised myself when speaking about the sheer number of hands working together and the incredible amount of effort being put into making all of this happen. Here are the spots we covered:
- The W.B. Tower in the up-and-coming B&O Railroad Park: Shared its incredible plans (see below):
W.B. Tower plans at B&O Railroad Park
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Rendering of the Meadows Building (color TBD)
The Meadows Building (formerly referred to as Mommers): Discussed the rehabilitation, including the two affordable housing units that will be part of this historic building and the restoration of the first-floor space for a restaurant.
- The train station: Spoke about the preliminary plans to use the awarded grant, which includes deep cleaning, possible landscape work, new paint inside and out, an additional bathroom, new flooring, etc.
- Residences at Railroad Square: Shared detailed information about the project and that the developer was hoping to start accepting applications sometime in October of 2024.
- Brunswick Heritage Museum: Discussed the re-pointing project.
- Kaplon Building: Talked about the possible developer for this building, the grants that have been applied for, tax incentives that have been researched, and reassured everyone that the Corner Store would be worked with to find new space and kept up-to-date.
- Traveling Bros Cigars: Toured the basement where a new “speakeasy” is being built.
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The Newberry Building
Newberry Building: Talked about the City’s vision for the building, the funding utilized to get the building to its current state, the five new businesses opening there (two of which came directly from the Farmer’s Market here in Brunswick), and the two expanding businesses that will reside there.
And there were many things that we touched on along the way. For instance we are just at the beginning stages of working on the new connection across the railroad tracks with the State of Maryland Department of Transportation. Everyone admired the new Brunswick arch. We also chatted about the new businesses on West Potomac like Maple & Rye and the wonderful foot traffic they have produced! There is also a new bike business coming to town—Bridgeway Bikes! That space is right next door to City Hall and will hopefully be open by September. We also talked a little about the 3 burnt out buildings and their future. If you watched the last City Council meeting, you know that those buildings will be demolished.
All of these projects require many partnerships and personnel to make happen. If you can picture an umbrella, that would be the City of Brunswick and all the metal spokes under the fabric are made up of organizations and departments like – Brunswick Main Street, Department of Public Works, Community Development Department, Brunswick City Planning and Zoning, State of Maryland DHCD, Frederick County Office of Economic Development, Frederick County Office of Permitting and Planning, Maryland Department of Transportation, Federal Department of Transportation, State Highway, private developers, and small business owners.
The revitalization of downtown Brunswick is a testament to the power of collaboration and dedication. We are excited about the progress that has been made and look forward to continuing our efforts to make a lively and active downtown that the community takes pride in and improves the quality of life for all. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm for our city’s future. If you missed the tour in June, we will have another one this Fall. A date and time will be posted on the City’s website, Brunswick Main Street’s website and social media sites.
