Jun. 1—CUMBERLAND — As work continues on the downtown construction project, plans for a grand reopening celebration are underway.

Meanwhile, shops and restaurants continue to welcome customers.

“We are excited about the project completion in the next six months,” said Melinda Kelleher, executive director of the Downtown Development Commission.

The $16 million renovation, led by Triton Construction, of St. Albans, West Virginia, includes new infrastructure beneath Baltimore Street and replacement of a pedestrian mall with a one-way street for car and bicycle traffic.

Construction started in April 2023 and is expected to be finished by fall.

Funding plans for the project started in 2016 and sources include the Maryland transportation department, Appalachian Regional Commission and state grants.

Recent activity on the project includes granite tiling on the Liberty Street parklet waterfall where future events such as the holiday tree lighting will be held, installation of sidewalk pavers and traffic signs and concrete work for curbs, road base and tree planters.

Multiple pedestrian guiding signs are being manufactured and will soon be installed.

New traffic signals at Baltimore and Mechanic streets were programmed and should be operational in the near future.

Additional highlights of the project include sidewalks without curbs and “beautiful landscaping,” Kelleher said.

Although a relatively mild winter allowed for the renovation work to remain on schedule, the project created challenges for downtown merchants, including sporadic temporary street closures and short-term water outages.

But now, downtown Cumberland is “open for business and our small businesses are still counting on the community for support,” Kelleher said. “All sidewalks are open and many of the barricades have now been removed.”

‘Many stages’When the Baltimore Street project is complete, “we should remember and recognize the many people it took to get it this far,” said Matt Miller, Cumberland Economic Development Corp. executive director and president.

“There were many stages needed to reach the final product,” he said.

“The development team remained steadfast in assuring the execution of a successful project,” Miller said and added a list of the team members is posted on the Reimagine Cumberland website.

“Dating as far back as 2014, the (CEDC) procured the initial needs assessments, strategic planning, public vetting, identified and secured funding sources and coordinated the execution of a transformative idea,” he said.

“We were building an iceberg with massive long-term improvements both above and below grade,” Miller said. “The value to downtown building owners begins underground with the fiber, the water and sewer and the electrical distribution. This hidden infrastructure has increased confidence in downtown real estate investments, which soared during construction.”

The final street facade improvement “is an aesthetic vision” that required the city engineering department to convert designs into construction specs and bid packages, Miller said.

“In turn, they had to be approved by state and federal regulatory agencies and then hit budgets to be awarded and executed,” he said.

“This impressive product owes equal amounts to imagination and perspiration,” Miller said. “Local citizens and visitors will enjoy a safe, relaxed streetscape. Downtown property owners will enjoy a different peace of mind that their business district is robust from the bottom up.”

He said the CEDC staff and its board “are especially pleased that the project’s beauty is matched by strong underpinnings.”

The combination “will be key to powering Cumberland’s growth for years to come,” Miller said.

‘The flexibility’Larry Jackson co-owns Western Maryland Music Center on Baltimore Street and is vice president of the DDC.

He owns multiple downtown properties and serves on city boards, including the Historic Preservation Commission.

“I’m a huge proponent of the project,” he said of the Baltimore Street renovation.

Because aging infrastructure beneath the street had to be dug up, it made sense to redesign the traffic pattern, he said.

“You can still close it off, but now you have the flexibility,” he said. “It’s a beautiful design.”

He acknowledged the construction process created problems for some downtown businesses, but said the worst is likely over.

“I think we’re over the hump on that,” Jackson said.

Downtown Cumberland is the “front porch of the community” and will “look even more beautiful” than before the project began, he said.

“I think it’s great,” Jackson said.

Grand reopeningThe city of Cumberland, DDC and CEDC will host the Grand Reopening Celebration for the Baltimore Street Revitalization Project at 11 a.m. Nov. 14.

Gov. Wes Moore has been invited to the event, which will be followed by a weekend of activities throughout the downtown area.

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