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Department of Housing and Community Development

Town of Rock Hall is the First Community Named as Main Street Maryland Affiliate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Town of Rock Hall is the First Community Named as Main Street Maryland Affiliate
Designation will assist revitalization and economic development in town’s downtown business district

Rock Hall, Md. (June 27, 2016) – The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development has approved the Town of Rock Hall’s application for the Main Street Affiliate program, making the Kent County town the first community in the state to join the program. By becoming a Main Street Affiliate, Rock Hall will work with the department to develop a revitalization plan to strengthen the town’s traditional, downtown business district using the principles, guidelines, and technical assistance of the Main Street Maryland program.

The affiliate program assists communities that are trying to create a downtown revitalization strategy, are in the early stages of applying for a Main Street Maryland designation, or that may not be eligible for the designation but want to use the Main Street approach to address local housing and community development challenges. The foundation of the Main Street approach is based on four points for redevelopment and revitalization endorsed by the National Main Street Center and an additional fifth point created by Main Street Maryland to address sustainability and environmental impact:

  • Economic Vitality to strengthen the district’s existing economic base while finding ways to expand it to meet new opportunities and challenges from outlying development.
  • Design to enhance the physical appearance of the commercial district by rehabilitating historic buildings, encouraging supportive new construction, developing sensitive design management systems and long-term planning.
  • Promotion to market the traditional commercial district’s assets to customers, potential investors, new businesses, local citizens, and visitors.
  • Organization to build consensus and cooperation among the many groups and individuals who have a role in the revitalization process.
  • Clean, Safe and Green to enhance the neighborhood’s perception through smart growth and sustainability principles.

“Our new Main Street Affiliate program provides Maryland communities the assistance and expertise to develop a holistic, big-picture approach to downtown revitalization. This program not only fosters economic development but provides a sustainable foundation for future growth,” said Secretary Kenneth C. Holt. “Congratulations to Rock Hall for becoming our first affiliate, and we look forward to working with the town to achieve its revitalization goals.”

A historic, scenic, waterfront town, Rock Hall is best known for its outdoor recreation activities including fishing, boating, kayaking, cycling, and birding,  its main street featuring an eclectic variety of shops and restaurants, distinctive historic properties, and a charming, relaxing, small-town atmosphere. The town has initiated a number of recent revitalization efforts, including demolition and blight removal, small business creation, and significantly adding to the number of town events and activities. These annual events include: Bike Fest, a springtime motorcycle event, a regionally-recognized Independence Day celebration, a “Pirates and Wenches” fantasy weekend, the town’s annual FallFest, featuring music and oysters, and a regional triathlon. Rock Hall also hosts a weekly “Festive Fridays on Main” event with live entertainment during the summer. The Hometown Hero program displays Rock Hall’s local pride by decorating main street lamp posts with banners honoring local residents who are active members in the military. A seasonal tram system supports tourism, providing transportation to and from the town’s marinas, main street, restaurants, inns and other local destinations.

“I am very happy to receive word that Rock Hall’s application to become part of the Main Street Affiliate Program was approved. There is a lot of structure with this program and it has been proven to work in other communities. It will help the town stay focused, help with economic development and plan programs and events in our downtown,” said Rock Hall Mayor Brian Jones. “One of our goals with this new designation will be to hire a part-time Main Street manager who will be responsible for a variety of tasks including coordinating volunteers, building existing relations, working on a market strategy and planning events such as Festive Fridays. In addition, we plan on using this program and technical assistance with a focus on revitalization strategies designed to attract new residents, business investment, economic growth and job creation to the Main Street business district.”

Rock Hall’s new Main Street Affiliate designation continues a strong partnership between the town and the state to reshape the community. The town was named as a Sustainable Community earlier this year and has already received a Working Waterfront Enhancement grant from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to create a master redevelopment plan for the town’s harbor. As an affiliate, Rock Hall will use Main Street Maryland’s technical assistance to apply for additional resources through the Community Legacy Program and other Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development revitalization programs which often serve as the catalyst to leverage additional private and public investment to transform communities for the better.

Applications to participate in the affiliate program are accepted on a rolling basis.

Visit http://bit.ly/MainStMD for an application and to learn more about the benefits of the Main Street Affiliate program.

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CONTACT: Sara Luell, Director of Communications, sara.luell@maryland.gov, 301-429-7803