Looking to cash in on the Hagerstown renaissance? Here are four projects to watch

James Paul, The Herald-Mail
Updated ·5 min read

With millions of dollars pouring into downtown Hagerstown and lofty projects promising to bring in new customers, Ashton Vattelana, a financial advisor at Edward Jones, describes the time we're in now as the "renaissance of Hagerstown."

So how do small and large local businesses cash in?

Key members from Meritus Health, Hagerstown-Washington County Industrial Foundation Inc. (CHIEF), the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts and the City of Hagerstown spoke to roughly 70 local business owners Wednesday morning at Hagerstown Community College about how they can tap into their respective projects and the economic growth they will foster.

Over 70 attendees came out to the Hagerstown Community College eatery for the "Coffee and Connections" mid-point event of the annual Startup Week hosted by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce.
Over 70 attendees came out to the Hagerstown Community College eatery for the "Coffee and Connections" mid-point event of the annual Startup Week hosted by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce.

The "Coffee and Connections" event comes at the midpoint of Startup Week, hosted by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, and seeks to help local businesses benefit from downtown's growth.

Vattelana, a member of the chamber and one of the organizers of Startup Week, said the goal in organizing the event was to clue the local business community to the "vision" of Hagerstown and show them how to take advantage of "all of the growth that is coming."

"My hope and my goal with this in presenting to the business community is to show them that all of these projects are meant to create new revenue and bring new faces to Hagerstown," Vattelana said. "I want them to see where those are taking place."

Proposed Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine

In October of last year, Meritus Health broke ground on an academic building for a proposed school of osteopathic medicine. The academic building is expected to cost between $85 million and $90 million. The campus would eventually include housing for upwards of 720 students. Eight months on and the educational building is expected to be completed in 2025.

Meritus Health School of Osteopathic Medicine COO Dave Lehr speaking on the panel about the $85 million to $90 million project.
Meritus Health School of Osteopathic Medicine COO Dave Lehr speaking on the panel about the $85 million to $90 million project.

According to one third-party estimate, Dave Lehr, chief operating officer for the school, said the project will bring in $750 million to the local economy by means of construction costs, job creation and by adding hundreds of new young faces to Hagerstown.

"There's gonna be 500 to 700 young people coming to the community as part of medical school," Lehr said to the attendees. "So think of those as your customers."

Lehr added these postgraduate students will be the average age of 24, a demographic "slightly skewed" younger compared to the rest of Washington County, and expose local business owners to a multitude of new consumer interests and needs.

"They're going to be coming in with student debt and other things on their minds, but they're also going to have needs that are a little different than what your current customers might be, and that's an opportunity for everybody in the room," Lehr said.

Washington County Museum of Fine Arts 'art campus'

Just starting the "quiet phase" of an $18 million fundraising initiative, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts Director Sarah Hall said the goal is to expand the museum into an "arts campus" by 2027. She said she hopes $12 million of the $18 million to fund the expansion of the museum in City Park into a multi-use instructional and cultural space will come from private philanthropy.

The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts Director Sarah Hall going through the specifics of the "art campus" expansion.
The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts Director Sarah Hall going through the specifics of the "art campus" expansion.

Hall said according to one consulting firm, expanding through the acquisition of another property behind the museum would attract more people in surrounding counties — as far as an hour's drive away. She said this could contribute to Hagerstown's tourism economy and also create job opportunities within the museum.

Additionally, Hall also said the expanded space could be used by local companies as a workshop site to foster team building and creative collaboration.

"Think really creatively about the way a museum can benefit your work and your customers because we're a resource," Hall said. "We can collaborate with anybody and design really special experiences."

Hagerstown Multi-Use Sports and Events Facility

With the 3,900-seat baseball stadium and multi-use sports and events facility set to "throw the first pitch" next May, Greg Snook, president and CEO of CHIEF which helped acquire the stadium, said the $70 million project brings in new revenue and job opportunities to Hagerstown.

"Now, this isn't just about baseball. This is about building economic development, and a catalyst for Downtown for the city of Hagerstown," Snook said.

Snook encouraged local businesses looking to relocate to consider one of the office spaces being constructed alongside the baseball stadium. He added that local business owners with ideas for possible events to be hosted at the stadium should reach out to CHIEF.

Community's city center plan

The 10-year roadmap — laid out by over $125 million in capital investment — charts a course for numerous projects across Hagerstown to spur development downtown, according to the City of Hagerstown website.

President and CEO of CHIEF Greg Snook, left, on a panel with Director of Community and Economic Development for the City of Hagerstown Jill Thompson.
President and CEO of CHIEF Greg Snook, left, on a panel with Director of Community and Economic Development for the City of Hagerstown Jill Thompson.

Current projects under the plan include the construction of an upscale hotel and the development of homeownership support — not including the already completed expansion of The Maryland Theatre programming.

Hagerstown Director of Community and Economic Development Jill Thompson said at the event that new business owners should explore the multitude of grants and financing options through the city made to capitalize on the swath of downtown developments.

"I think investment goes where investment is welcomed, and by sharing the investment story, we're able to attract more investment," Thompson said.

The five-pronged Invest Hagerstown program was created when the City Council voted in 2018 to add 3 cents on the tax rate to "create an economic incentive program to spur investment," Thompson said. The program gives added financing options to landlords and homeowners, such as a redevelopment grant that offers $250,000 toward renovating several historic downtown properties.

Another funding initiative is the Partners in Economic Progress program which includes an annual grant equal to city property tax for five years. The program also offers the landlord assistance in subsidizing rent for the first set of tenants that come through the building after the renovation is complete.

More information about the Invest Hagerstown and Partners in Economic Progress programs and other programs is available on the city website.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 1:33 p.m. May 25, 2023, to clarify some aspects of the project for the proposed Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine. Herald-Mail Media apologizes for the mistake.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Here's how local businesses can tap in on downtown development