Cumberland, Frostburg projects awarded historic revitalization tax credits

Dec. 1—CUMBERLAND — Of 10 Maryland properties chosen to receive financial incentives for improvements, two are in Allegany County.

According to the state's planning department, the Maryland Historical Trust awarded more than $20 million in historic revitalization tax credits for the projects.

Eighteen applicants sought more than $55 million in tax credits for construction projects that total more than $305 million in estimated costs.

Projects selected for the 2024 tax credits were based on an established set of criteria, including those outlined by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior for historic building rehabilitations.

"Throughout Maryland, we are fortunate to have many historic buildings that are irreplaceable examples of great design and craftsmanship and a reflection of our roots that often provide communities with a unique sense of place," Maryland Department of Planning Secretary Rebecca Flora said via press release. "The revitalization and preservation of these historic places supports the revitalization of communities and provides environmental benefits through the reuse of existing structures and materials demonstrating the inherent value of structures that are built to evolve with the ever changing world around us."

Local projects selected include the McCleave Building, 63-69 Baltimore St. in Cumberland, and the Diamond Building, 43-53 East Main St. in Frostburg.

The Wills Hotel

The McCleave Building was awarded $1.4 million in tax credits for a project estimated to cost $5.6 million.

The structure, designed before 1875, is one of two Italianate-style buildings on Baltimore Street.

According to state planning officials, its most prominent feature "is a highly decorative cornice along the street-facing facades and upper window ornamentation."

The attributes will be preserved and restored as part of the overall rehabilitation of the building, which is currently vacant.

Cumberland Historic Preservation Planner Ruth Davis-Rogers said the structure's interior is in poor condition and will be overhauled to create a 20-room boutique hotel.

"(It) will be called the Wills Hotel and will offer lodging to tourists ... corporate guests, bikers and those visiting family in the area and just need a place to stay," she said via email. "There will also be a restaurant on the first floor."

The new hotel "is an important project as it is yet another multi-million-dollar investment occurring within a short time period in downtown Cumberland," Davis-Rogers said.

"The Wills Hotel project will not only employ many people throughout its renovation but also employ people to work in the establishment once it is completed," she said. "All of these people, workers as well as guests staying in the hotel, will visit local stores and restaurants where they will spend their money."

The 13,400-square-foot McCleave Building was purchased by Ohio-based businessman Brian Gilbride in 2021.

"Gilbride, an avid biker, often rode through Cumberland on the GAP (Great Allegheny Passage) Trail and C&O Towpath," Davis-Rogers said. "He loved the charm of the city and felt it needed additional overnight temporary lodging that was kind of special and unique."

Inspired by the $14 million investment the city, county and state had committed to the reopening of Baltimore Street, and working closely with the Maryland Historical Trust, Gilbride and his team developed a plan to transform the exterior of the building back to its roots, she said.

"Old newspapers dating back to 1873 indicate it was a prime retail space where dry goods, musical instruments and appliances, just to name a few, were sold," Davis-Rogers said. "A variety of offices were located in the upper stories of the building."

The original retail design was altered in 1949-1950 when Morris Lapidus, an architect known for his modern commercial and retail designs, was hired to update the first floor of the building, she said.

"The Manhattan Hat Shop chain, later known as The Manhattan Men's Clothing Store, then occupied this building for many years and it was owned and operated by Irwin Pariser," Davis-Rogers said. "After the Manhattan Clothing Store closed, a variety of businesses occupied the space and the building fell into disrepair."

While many original features will be saved, the new design will not replicate the original, she said.

"But it gives a nod to the past with its large storefront-inspired windows and awnings," Davis-Rogers said.

The project will "save another one of our historic buildings for future generations and add to the vibrancy of the downtown," she said.

"It will serve as another cog in the wheel of the Allegany County/City of Cumberland economic engine," Davis-Rogers said.

"Statistics are showing that small towns are making a comeback," she said. "The recent activity in Cumberland certainly supports these reports."

The Diamond Building

The Diamond Building was awarded $380,687 in tax credits for a project estimated to cost $1.5 million.

The three-story brick commercial building, constructed in the early 20th century, houses multiple commercial operations on the ground floor, although the upper levels have been vacant for at least a decade, state planning officials said.

In addition to overall structural stabilization and infrastructure upgrades, the rehabilitation project will retain commercial tenant spaces on the ground floor and incorporate new residential apartments on the upper two floors.

"This project will support our workforce, provide quality housing options for new and current residents, and overall will help to grow our local economy," Bethany Fife, Frostburg's director of community development, said via email.

The tax credit is significant, she said.

"With rising construction costs, this tax credit helps to make substantial rehabilitation projects more economically viable," Fife said. "We are thrilled to see these tax credits awarded to such a significant project in our downtown business district."

The building was owned by the Diamond family for many years and has been a prominent structure in downtown Frostburg since the late-1800s — almost as long as the city has been incorporated, she said.

"We are pleased to see the building's rich history being preserved," Fife said.

Daniel Bonilla and Jacob Ford of the GreenBench Companies will run the project.

The building is owned by a partnership under GreenBench and Frostburg Main Street LLC, Bonilla said via email.

"We feel incredibly excited that our project was selected as a recipient for the tax credit program and we are honored to have the opportunity to help preserve the city's heritage by rehabilitating an important building on Main Street," he said on behalf of the ownership group.

"We are also grateful for the refreshing support we've received from the City of Frostburg so far as we continue to work to make this project come to fruition," Bonilla said. "We have already invested and plan to continue to invest in the City of Frostburg."

The building is in a highly visible and walkable location on Main Street beside the former Frostburg City Hall Building that is currently being transformed into the new Challenger Learning Center, he said.

"We encourage any businesses and/or community members who may want to open a business in a prime retail space on Main Street to reach out to us," Bonilla said.

Teresa McMinn is a reporter for the Cumberland Times-News. She can be reached at 304-639-2371 or tmcminn@times-news.com.