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Department of Housing and Community Development

State of Maryland Awards More Than $3.4 Million to Assist Small Businesses and Empower Community Revitalization on the Eastern Shore

Three programs will provide funds to businesses, local governments, and economic development organizations

NEW CARROLLTON, MD (July 15, 2024) – Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day announced today the department has awarded $3,419,141 from three state programs to assist small businesses and support local revitalization projects and activities on the Eastern Shore. Grants from the Business Boost Microgrant Program, the Main Street Improvement Grant, and Project Restore 2.0 will provide funds to 28 businesses, local governments, and place-based economic development organizations to spur community revitalization by attracting, retaining, and expanding small businesses, as well as through the promotion of local, cultural attractions and events.

“To ensure the continued quality of our communities and to improve the quality of life for all their residents, we must revitalize their hearts – downtowns, Main Streets, and other important community hubs and places,” said Secretary Day. “This important funding will strengthen these hearts by supporting the growth of small businesses that provide local services and job opportunities and the events and attractions that make the Eastern Shore’s unique, varied communities such great and lovable places.”

The Business Boost Microgrant Program assists businesses seeking to expand or establish a location with preference given to home-based businesses establishing their first commercial location outside of the home. Applicants were also required to meet one or more of the priority impact attributes that contribute to Maryland’s economic growth, such as supporting minority and women-owned businesses, driving innovation or technology advancements, growing new industries, or leveraging existing regional strengths. Business Boost awarded $449,355 to assist 10 businesses, including:

  • Funding for T’s Divine Sweets & More (Dorchester) to purchase equipment and hire staff to increase its production capacity to serve grocery chain stores, locally and abroad.
  • Renovation of the Salisbury Dance Academy’s (Wicomico) downtown location to accommodate three dedicated studio spaces with companion dressing rooms, bathrooms, and dining areas, providing space to expand services and staff.

The Main Street Improvement Grant Program provides operating assistance to the local governments or economic development organizations in Maryland’s designated and affiliated Main Street Maryland communities and Baltimore City’s designated Main Street neighborhoods. Grants help awardees achieve their community revitalization and economic development goals, including creating and retaining small businesses and increasing tourism for local events and attractions. The program awarded $290,000 to 14 designees, including funding for the Town of Centreville (Queen Anne’s) to support its façade improvement program and to cover fees for National Main Street membership, website maintenance, photography, videography, and business promotions.

Project Restore 2.0 seeks to activate vacant buildings, support small businesses, and increase local economic activity by providing financial support to improve the vitality of Maryland’s commercial corridors. Unlike prior rounds of the program which directly funded businesses, $2,679,786 was awarded as a block grant to 12 place-based economic development organizations, nonprofit or local government entities that work to improve a specific jurisdiction within the state. Awardees including the Town of Rock Hall (Kent), the City of Crisfield (Somerset), and the Ocean City Development Corporation (Worcester) will sub-grant the funds to for-profit businesses, nonprofit organizations, cooperatively-owned businesses, and social enterprises to start up or expand into vacant buildings in their jurisdictions.

Here’s what local leaders and awardees are saying about the announcement: 

  • “This grant is crucial to the expansion of my business,” said Mark Lewis, Founder of Lewis Security Services. “With this funding we are able to provide a service that is not currently available in Dorchester or Caroline Counties.”
  • “We are delighted to have been chosen by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to support the expansion of our Crab & Cruise® and Crab Party events,” said Greg Cain, CEO of The Crab Place and the Crab & Cruise® experience. “These events currently attract over 4,000 visitors annually from across the country, significantly benefiting our small waterfront community. With our planned expansion, we aim to increase seasonal visitor numbers to 20,000–30,000, further boosting the local economy and providing greater opportunities for our residents.”
  • “This grant will allow further expansion of our fiber network into small rural communities that desperately need connectivity to compete in today’s constantly evolving world,” said Bret Davis, Owner of Simple Fiber, LLC.
  • “We are grateful for the Business Boost Microgrant Program for supporting our small business so it can continue servicing Salisbury for many more years to come,” said Elena Manakhova, Director of the Salisbury Dance Academy. “With this grant, SDA will be able to accelerate renovations on the West Main Street location and relocate the Academy from Fruitland to beautiful downtown Salisbury, bringing new faces and opportunities to the area.”
  • “We are incredibly grateful to the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Maryland Main Street Program for awarding us a $25,000 Main Street Improvement Grant,” said Ivy Wells, Director of Economic and Community Development for the Town of Berlin. “This funding is instrumental in supporting our district’s local businesses.”
  • “The City of Pocomoke is thrilled to be an award recipient of Project Restore 2.0,” said Karah Burton Lacey, Events and Downtown Coordinator for the City of Pocomoke. “These funds will help bring two downtown commercial properties back to life that have been sitting vacant for over 20 years! This is truly a life changing opportunity for these women owned businesses and the Pocomoke community as a whole.”
  • “The Easton EDC is excited to have received a fully funded Project Restore award for two projects in Easton, Maryland,” said Holly DeKarske, Executive Director of Easton Economic Development Corporation. “We are excited for our developers and their projects, both of which will have huge impacts on the Main Street and Arts & Entertainment Districts of Easton.”
  • “A key corner being vacant has sent the wrong message about the economic viability of our Town,” says Ashley Heffernan Kaiser, Esq, President of the Centreville Town Council. “Thanks to this Project Restore grant, Centreville will be welcoming a new business in 2025 in a property that has been vacant for nearly two decades.”
  • “The Ocean City Development Corporation (OCDC) is very pleased to have recently been awarded $300,000 through the DHCD’s Project Restore 2.0 grant,” said OCDC’s Executive Director, Zach Bankert. “These funds will be used to renovate the property located at 102 Worcester Street in Downtown Ocean City MD. We are excited to be able to breathe new life into this building and bring it into compliance with our Downtown Design Standards.”
  • “We are grateful for the community grant funding, which will have a long-term impact on our town,” said Jessica Willoughby, Executive Director of Downtown Denton Main Street. “This support will help us create positive change and improve our community.”
  • “The Town of Rock Hall and Main Street Rock Hall are excited to be selected as one of the recipients of 2024 Project Restore funds,” said Laurie Walters, President of Main Street Rock Hall. “We have identified three historic buildings which are currently vacant that will be given new life providing retail and service opportunities for our residents and visitors alike. Revitalization of these three properties will bring fresh energy to our growing business community.”

For more information about the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development business assistance and Main Street improvement programs, visit http://dhcd.maryland.gov.

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