Hang on tight: That swarm of development projects is about to open up

Does it seem as if all that new construction and redevelopment in the county has been going on a long time?

Well, get ready. Because many of those projects are headed for the finish line.

Last fall, we kicked off a series of articles about new development by checking in with Jonathan Horowitz, the county's business and economic development director, and Jill Thompson, director of community and economic development for Hagerstown, for an overview of all that activity.

Now we're checking in for an update.

Many "of the things that we talked about that were either proposed or in stages of development are now coming to the end of construction phases, getting ready to open," Thompson said. "So the upcoming months are going to be incredibly exciting for Hagerstown."

It also means more employment opportunities. "People have just moved to the next phase of all … we discussed and they are actively looking to hire for finishing their build-out," Horowitz said.

And even after these projects are completed, there are more in the pipeline.

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Here's what to look for in the coming months

• The new Hitachi Rail plant in Halfway is complete, and hiring is underway, Horowitz said. Hitachi spokeswoman Yinka Robinson said the company is planning official opening activities in the summer or fall. In the meantime, Hitachi featured the new 8000 series vehicles that will be completed and tested in the new plant during the “Fleet of the Future Expo” from March 20-April 3 during the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington.

The 8000 series rail cars, according to a Hitachi news release, will feature digital screens with journey information and on-board WiFi, "smart doors" that respond to obstruction, high-definition security cameras, wider aisles and more space between seats, heated floors and improved braking.

The cars, which are to be manufactured under a contract with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority for Washington's Metro system, represent only the first contract for the new plant. Hitachi officials have said more contracts for the plant are already being lined up.

• Perhaps the most visible and anticipated project is Meritus Park, the new $90 million sports facility in downtown Hagerstown that will be home to the Flying Boxcars Atlantic League baseball team. The nearly 4,000-seat arena is a project of the Maryland Stadium Authority and Downtown Baseball.

Although the home opener has been postponed for a day, everybody's fingers are crossed that the stadium, under construction at lightning speed, will be ready for the inaugural game on May 4.

• Shortly afterward, construction is expected to be complete on the new 397-space Hub City Garage on Antietam Street, Thompson said, so Boxcar fans will have a convenient place to park during the games.

• The first of two planned performance venues at Hub City Vinyl on Baltimore Street opened months ago, and owner Lloyd Thoburn told Herald-Mail Media "attendance is good" at the three to four shows booked every week.

"I am waiting to build out the second venue until I see how things go with the new stadium opening, as parking will probably be an issue," Thoburn said, "but right now we are moving forward with a kitchen so we can expand our food offerings."

• New pubs and eateries are poised to open downtown soon, including Sofrito Puerto Rican Cuisine, set to open in May at 10-12 E. Washington St.; Baile Cask & Kettle and Baile Bagels at 53 W. Washington, and the long-awaited Hub City Brewing in the Market House building at 25 W. Church St.

• Hagerstown's municipal Customer Service Center at 32 N. Potomac is also scheduled to open this year. The customer service office, with drive-through and kiosk service, will be on the first floor. The second floor will house the city's Department of Community and Economic Development.

• On the north end of town, the $10 million D.M. Bowman Family Workforce Training Center on Northern Avenue, which is to be a central location for Hagerstown Community College's off-campus training programs, is scheduled for completion in December. The facility also will house the Barr Construction Institute, operated by the Cumberland Valley Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors.

• City officials project that the $25 million Hagerstown Field House, at the site of the former Municipal Stadium on Memorial Boulevard, will be completed by the end of the year. Thompson said Eastern Sports Management, the city's management partner for the facility, is starting to book events for early next year.

• Down in Williamsport, the Port 44 development recently welcomed Sweet Notes Bakery and is preparing to open Ruth's Market — featuring fresh produce — in May, said Port 44 CEO Selina Wilkes. So far, Port 44 — a group of women developers — report that 11 upscale apartments and six commercial spaces have been completed and occupied as they redevelop historic buildings on Conococheague and Salisbury streets.

And there's more to come at Port 44, so stay tuned. In the meantime, watch for grand opening celebrations for Sweet Notes, Ruth's and Andra Wealth Management in late May or early June.

• Out at Fort Ritchie, the revival continues as the Top Secret Tap Room is no longer a secret. Fort Ritchie developer John Krumpotich said the taproom will open May 23, serving beer, wine and liquor; appetizers, sandwiches and light dinner fare. Krumpotich and his wife, Joyce Johnson, own this business

In June, he said, a pet groomer called Mystical Paws plans to open at the fort, joining other new businesses including the recently opened Nisei Gallery and Harman Automotive. Work to convert the "finger buildings" —former mess halls and classrooms along Barrick Avenue — into boutique residences, shops and overnight accommodations is underway.

"The taproom is gonna move the needle," Krumpotich said. "The finger building project is a big one. So we're super excited about that. I think we'll be able to get some of those boutique residentials on, probably within the next six months."

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Next year and beyond

Krumpotich is negotiating agreements with several other businesses for the Army base, he said. Those who've signed on to renovate buildings at the fort are Engler Electric and the plumbing firm Bilder and Sons, he said.

He also anticipates a kayak and tackle rental business, maybe Frisbee golf and, possibly, a steakhouse. "We are in negotiations with probably eight or nine (business interests) right now," he said. "I'm always cautious until the deal is done. But there's a bunch. I mean, we're extremely fortunate."

Port 44 has plans to renovate more Williamsport buildings for several more upscale apartments and more than a dozen new commercial spaces.

Among the major projects already announced or underway for opening in 2025 are the proposed Meritus Osteopathic Medical School on the Meritus Medical Center campus just southeast of Hagerstown. The D.M. Bowman Academic Hall and student housing are under construction, and, according to a statement Meritus sent The Herald-Mail, "the school is meeting milestones for accreditation and is on track to welcome its inaugural class in the summer of 2025."

The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts has purchased the former Bock Oil property at the end of Key Street at Hagerstown's City Park for an educational campus, with classroom space, room for artist-in-residence programs and event space. Fundraising is underway, and renovations should begin at the end of the year or in early 2025.

Bowman Hospitality plans to break ground in June for a 100-room Tru by Hilton hotel along Railway Lane in Halfway, according to Bowman Development President Robin Ferree. He said there's no fixed date for opening yet, but it will probably be late spring or early summer 2025.

But as these major projects are completed, The Greater Hagerstown Committee is trying to look farther ahead.

"We're still trying to figure out what's coming down the line," Executive Director Jim Kercheval told The Herald-Mail.

The group, comprised of community leaders and business people, was created in 1987 with a mission of identifying community needs and serving as a "catalyst" for progress.

When Kercheval, a former Washington County commissioner, took the helm, "we were looking at, what are some strategies other communities have used to help their downtowns," he said.

One of those strategies was to make some public investments to spur private investments.

Public investments made in downtown Hagerstown since 2012 have included the new Fletcher Branch of the Washington County Free Library, expansion of the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown and the Urban Improvement Project, a public-private partnership that included expansion of the Maryland Theatre and construction of the Vincent Rauth Groh Academic Center.

(The new stadium, Meritus Park, has been a project of the Maryland Stadium Authority and is not being built by the city or the county. The city of Hagerstown is building the new parking deck downtown and the new field house at the former stadium site.)

The goal, Kercheval said, is that the investment ration will be about 30% public and 70% private. "And most of that 30% has to come in the front end," he said.

"So you kind of put up a lot of money in good faith, hoping that you hit a critical mass of projects that then generate that outside interest and bring investment downtown. And to me, that's what we're seeing."

Now that private investment is coming in, he said, Greater Hagerstown and other business and development interests will be looking at future progress a little differently: how to support these initial investments and what the impact of the population migrating west to Washington County will be.

"One thing I think that we're gonna have to wrestle with is, because of this national housing shortage, for a variety of reasons we're going to have to figure out where our workers and other people are going to live," Kercheval said. "I don't think we factored into that national housing issue that hit this country, which happened to come at the same time we're doing some downtown investment."

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That migration, he believes, will lead to bigger markets for the events the theater and the other stage venues downtown are starting to book.

"We might even need to look at how our (development) incentive structures are set up; do we need the same? Do we need maybe different type? What's working, what's needed?" Kercheval said." But these are all, I think, healthy problems for us to have. Because it just seems like it took so long for us to get that ball rolling, and now it seems to be rolling, and all the other things point to the right direction for Washington County and Hagerstown as a whole."

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Wondering about all that construction going on? Here's an update.