There's a whole lot of development going on. How will it change the county's future?

Editor's note: This is the seventh and final in a series of stories looking at the growth and development in Washington County over the past few years, answering the question "Why now?"

Everywhere you look these days, somebody's building or restoring something.

And about time, too, Paul Frey might say.

"We've been working on a lot of these things for over 20 years," said Frey, who is president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce.

Widening Interstate 81, for example. "The $100 million we're getting from the federal and state, we've been working on for 20 years. And we've got more work to do, because that just covers from the West Virginia line to Exit 5 — then we've got to go from Exit 5 to Pennsylvania. So 20 years in the making.

"The stadium has been 20 years in the making. Fort Ritchie has been 20 years in the making, and what are we going to do with that? So a lot of these initiatives have been talked about for over 20 years."

The Washington County Community Coalition, which brings together local governments and other agencies to lobby for community interests, has been together since 2005, Frey said, and helped bring more than $300 million to the community during that time — for projects ranging from the Fletcher Branch of the Washington County Free Library to the new field house planned for the former site of Municipal Stadium.

COVID, he added, "drove people to Western Maryland to the outdoors, to Washington County. In the west, they saw the quality of life. They saw the outdoor amenities, they saw a less expensive cost of housing."

These things, plus programs like the David W. Fletcher Incubator + Labs at Hagerstown Community College that help new businesses get established are helping to drive the economy in Washington County, he said, as are new leaders with new ideas.

All of this, of course, is the foundation on which Washington County's future will be built. How will it all look in a few years? Will Washington County be a center for health sciences, with a new medical school and a path for local students to focus on the health industry from kindergarten on?

A model for education opportunities from pre-K to arts and vocational schools to college and graduate school?

A sports hub with a new stadium, a new indoor sports arena, BMX track and skateboard park?

A cultural mecca with a state-of-the-art theater complex, arts school, fine arts museum and educational campus, performance venues of every size to accommodate every kind of show?

A tourist's dream, with new facilities at its two major national parks, hiking, biking, restored historical sites, wineries, museums, professional baseball and a new visitors center in the heart of the county seat?

An agricultural base where half the county remains rural, with local produce and respect for its farming tradition?

An economic engine where manufacturing and logistics industries coexist with the restoration of communities?

Maybe all of the above?

More manufacturing in Washington County?

Hagerstown was once known for its manufacturing industry. But from the mid-1980s, a number of those firms closed up or moved out. Does Hitachi Rail's decision to build a $70 million factory in Halfway signal a return to manufacturing?

"I think we've been evolving that way," Frey said, with a number of smaller manufacturers opening shop here. "They felt welcomed by our economic development folks, they felt welcomed by the community at large and they're close to I-81 … so I think it's a resurgence. I think it's because we have the infrastructure here and that we're known as that kind of community."

"We've had a couple really great manufacturers come back to town to help revitalize our manufacturing, and there's still vestiges of our manufacturing environment here," said Jonathan Horowitz, director of business development for Washington County. "We have a lot of suppliers here that were part of these old supply chains … we're having a lot of success in this department."

"I don't think we're gonna see manufacturing like we did back in its heyday per se, because I think the landscape of manufacturing has changed from a global perspective," said Sen. Paul Corderman, R-Washington/Frederick. "The manufacturing is great, we're excited about it and we want to continue to push along those edges."

But Corderman said he's also focusing on research and development, cybersecurity, data centers, pharmaceuticals, "all those type of opportunities that we've seen come into Frederick County."

"We would hope to see that Hagerstown and Washington County becomes an attraction for residents and workers from the metropolitan area, Frederick, to move to, to take advantage of everything that we have here plus what's being developed," said Bowman Development President Rob Ferree, "and to see our population base increase, with people with higher disposable incomes. (We're) hoping these projects also provide higher income opportunities for our current residents. People with those types of income will generate the need for more development."

'We can have nice things'

Three projects in particular — the Hitachi factory, the Meritus Osteopathic School of Medicine and the new stadium under construction downtown — have been considered transformational by local leaders.

"I think you're gonna see a continued level of enthusiasm going forward on these three projects," Corderman said. "They aren't gonna solve all of our community's struggles and challenges because not one particular project, or even a handful of projects, are going to be that thing that is going to solve everything.

"All these things complement each other. All these things work together … to provide that confidence, whether it's from an investor confidence, from a community's confidence — talk to any real estate agent about the properties, the houses they show to people that are looking to move to Washington County because they've heard of all the opportunities that are coming out here."

"I think we will be a community that is bringing in individuals to live in this community that might not have grown up here, that now see the vision that we have seen for years and having them take it to that next level," said Greg Snook, president of the Hagerstown-Washington County Industrial Foundation — or CHIEF.

"There are a lot of individuals, whether they're single or married, now that want to raise a family in an environment outside of the big city," he said. "And I think by providing different products for these groups, whether it's sports, entertainment, education, or medical, we're going to meet those needs along with the cultural stuff, because those venues are critical."

"I would love to see people come downtown — obviously for ballgames — I'd love to see people come downtown to restaurants that are open at the same time," said Howard "Blackie" Bowen, CEO of Ewing Oil and a partner in the new Hagerstown Flying Boxcars baseball team.

"But I'd like to see people on the street. Going to the entertainment venues like The Maryland Theatre, like the bars and restaurants," Bowen said, as he remembers doing in the past.

And with the theater, the Washington County Playhouse, the ACT Black Box Studio, the new Live at Hub City Vinyl stages and the new stadium, they should be spoiled for choices.

"I believe you'll see downtown as not just the commercial district, but also a neighborhood commercial district," said Hagerstown Director of Community and Economic Development Jill Thompson.

"The growth of upper-floor housing and making downtown a 24-hour downtown with more residents living in the downtown area, more foot traffic, and as a result, more retail and restaurant amenities," she said.

"We're seeing a growth in breweries, distilleries and wineries. So I think those types of restaurants, unique venues — (Live at) Hub City Vinyl is another expansion that's happening — with the baseball stadium, The Maryland Theatre, private entertainment venues, the continued programming of downtown by the Main Street program, downtown will be a destination for residents, but it'll also be a regional and national visitor destination as well, creating increased foot traffic and vitality."

Most of those choices should be available by next summer, said Lloyd Thoburn, owner of Live at Hub City Vinyl, slated to open in early November. Several bands have already been booked. He believes Live at Hub City Vinyl can be busy every night of the week.

"The town's still full opportunity; there's plenty of businesses that can be started. And you can get people to come here. And I believe that part of the growth just going to be organic. It's just coming anyway, because Frederick has overpriced itself … so I think it'll keep coming up here. And you know, it's still probably another 10 or 20 years to be a really dynamic downtown. There's plenty opportunity."

"I think that the large new construction investment in the county, mostly, but some in the city, has been factory and warehouse. People can say what they want about the benefits and negatives of that. But just the fact that investment is happening here is enticing investors to invest in the architectural infrastructure of the city of Hagerstown," developer Aaron Peteranecz said.

"The developments that are happening because of that in the city, with adaptive reuse and state investment and quality of life investments like the stadium, things like that; I think that the citizenry will enjoy the benefits of those investments when they come online.

"You'll have nice apartments to pick from. You'll have new restaurants, you'll have new entertainment. So all of the sort of 'icky' investments, I guess, that people don't really want like warehouses, at the end of the day, that has directly encouraged people to invest in the stuff that you do want in Hagerstown. So I think in five years, you'll start to see like, 'Oh, this is really nice. We can have nice things.'"

"Our community and our citizens deserve these things," Corderman added.

'The whole county should thrive'

As the CEO of the Port 44 development partnership in Williamsport, Selena Wilkes has a vision. And that vision could include the whole county.

"Williamsport is gonna be a tourist hub," she said, "a very important tourist hub for Western Maryland, actually, because of the C&O Canal, the Antietam Battlefield.

"There's a lot of focus on downtown Hagerstown with the stadium and that district around it. I think that's wonderful, but my point was let's not forget the towns … I think today, the way things work with different tourist areas and all, every town has their thing. But Williamsport is on the river … and with the canal headquarters down there, that's a draw. I've always said Williamsport has been transforming to a true tourist town."

It's also an important town, strategically, to tie into Hagerstown, she said. "If Hagerstown wants to grow and prosper, it needs Williamsport. Because people are going to go to a river town to do some things, ride their bikes, hike the canal. But they'll come to Hagerstown at night for a game or nightlife."

Not to mention the people who live in Williamsport but work in Hagerstown.

"The way I envision it is every town in Washington County finds their niche and does a similar thing" to the redevelopment in Williamsport, Wilkes said. "The whole county should thrive."

"I think Washington County is in a unique position to really benefit from a lot of this that's going on," added Fort Ritchie developer John Krumpotich. "Because one, the county is very beautiful and additionally has a ton of buildings that are open for adaptive reuse. So it's in a really good position, and it's kind of got more of a spotlight with the infusion of all the additional businesses that are coming in around the (Interstate) 81 corridor.

"So you've got capital that's being invested locally, and you have a ton of old buildings and old properties that are just ripe to be reused. I think in five years, you're still gonna have this beautiful Washington County, but as opposed to having some vacant buildings around or buildings that people are wondering why they're not being used a certain way. I think you're gonna see most of them being used and repurposed in a really cool way.

"I'm hopelessly biased for Western Maryland," Krumpotich said. "And I think the fort and all of Washington County just has so much to offer. And I think as we continue down this road, we can really become more of a recreation and tourism area for for anybody who's passing through. And I just hope that this entrepreneurial spirit continues the way that it is in Washington County because I think it has a bright bright future."

Have you noticed all the new development in Washington County? There's a reason for it

Starting at the core: How one big venture reflected a sea change for downtown Hagerstown

Hagerstown's new factory, med school and stadium: Why are these projects 'game-changers'?

Port 44 and Ritchie Revival: Can targeted determination help rejuvenate communities?

These Washington County developers are putting old buildings back to work.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: How will a development boom change Washington County's future?