CEDC grant request will help with Union Rescue Mission relocation
Oct. 15—CUMBERLAND, Md. — The Cumberland Economic Development Corp. is requesting $2.1M in grant awards for six recommended uses within the city limits.
The two largest requests of the total were $750,000 to help with the possible relocation of the Union Rescue Mission and $700,000 for a public art program.
News of the grant requests was disclosed at a work session of the mayor and City Council held Wednesday at City Hall. The grant requests are to come from the $20 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act aid awarded to the city this summer.
"We asked the CEDC to give us a list of potential projects for economic development in the city," said Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss. "What we will do, we will decide, pick and choose, which ones we think will be the best use of the money long term for the city."
The $750,000 for the Union Rescue Mission, according to CEDC Director Matt Miller, is to help the mission obtain and renovate a new location. Mission representatives have said they have outgrown their current facility while requests for their services are increasing.
The mission is currently located at 16 Queen City Pavement along the CSX railroad tracks. The CEDC has identified the mission's current site as a prime location for future economic development.
"This is an effort we have been undergoing for the past almost three years ... finding a location adequate for them and then assisting them to move comfortably into that location," said Miller. "They want to move ... they were at capacity pre-COVID, now they have increased (demand) with COVID."
City officials have not determined a new location for the Union Rescue Mission yet, although 11 Columbia St. has been mentioned as one possible site. Morriss said the city has not yet committed to relocation plans for the mission.
Other grant requests include $700,000 for a public art plan, $300,000 for improvements to the former Memorial Hospital site, $250,000 to help expand child care offerings, $100,000 for downtown outdoor dining furnishings, and $18,500 to help cover the cost of an economic development strategic plan.
Miller said the $700,000 proposed allocation for public art is in partnership with the Allegany Arts Council.
"Public art is a large component to the success of the upcoming renovations planned for the downtown mall area," said Miller. "This will be an opportunity to kind of help put seed money into a long-term public art plan."
The funds, according to the plan, would be used for engineering, marketing and planning as well as site preparation, public engagement and establishing legal agreements with site owners.
Miller said the $300,000 for the former Memorial Hospital land in South Cumberland would be used to upgrade the infrastructure, including water and sewer lines.
"This is to help incentivize residential development at that site," he said. "There are some costs a developer would need to incur. We are focusing on obtaining market-rate housing for this area."
The $250,000 ask for child care facilities, according to Miller, could help parents get back to work.
"This would allow (child care facilities) to expand their services accordingly to incorporate more kids or upgrade their outdoor playground equipment to adapt for post COVID," said Miller.
"They have been pretty strained as many industries have," said Miller. "The child care industry has a lot of effect on our workforce and that is why we got involved to try to get people back to work. Lack of adequate child care is the basis of this. People can't find child care for their kids, therefore they cannot go to work."
The $100,000 for restaurants with outdoor dining will go to help those businesses obtain quality outdoor furniture and hopefully allow them to be uniform with each other.
Greg Larry is a reporter at the Cumberland Times-News. To reach him, call 304-639-4951, email glarry@times-news.com and follow him on Twitter @GregLarryCTN.
