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Commissioners approve $350,000 for Wills Hotel; consent agenda accepts multiple grants and agreements
Summary
The Allegany County Board of County Commissioners approved a $350,000 grant agreement for the Wills Hotel and accepted a consent agenda that included multiple state grants and infrastructure agreements, and the board disclosed topics from a recent closed session.
The Allegany County Board of County Commissioners approved a $350,000 grant agreement with 69 Baltimore LLC (the Wills Hotel project) and accepted a consent agenda that included state bond bill grants, 9‑1‑1 funding, and several economic development agreements during its March 6, 2025 meeting.
Jeff Barclay, the county’s director of economic development, described the Wills Hotel project on Baltimore Street as “actively in construction, fit out, down on Baltimore Street.” He said the Wills Hotel partners are contributing approximately $3,400,000 in equity and loan and that the county’s $350,000 contribution would be split with $250,000 from the county’s revolving building fund and $100,000 redirected from a prior community enhancement allocation with the City of Cumberland. Barclay said the revolving building fund “is not taxpayer money” but is capital that flows from economic development sales, leases and loans. Commissioners voted to approve the grant agreement.
The board also accepted a consent agenda presented by County Administrator Jason M. Bennett that contained 12 items, including:
- Five Maryland 9‑1‑1 board funding agreements totaling $101,692 for public safety answering point work, generator testing, priority dispatch system service, and call‑handling maintenance. - A $100 event promotion request for a “Murder at the Museum” fundraiser hosted by an Allegheny museum and the Embassy Theater (April 3–5). - A $50,000 DGS/GDGS grant for the Caspar A. Taylor Amphitheater (bond bill funds introduced by Senator McKay) to be used by Canal Place. - A $100,000 DGS grant for the Greater Cumberland Regional Airport for equipment. - A $422,000 grant agreement with Tri‑County Council for Western Maryland for Sedgwick Street site work to support upcoming infrastructure improvements. - An $800,000 grant agreement with Tri‑County Council for the Kingspan rail spur design and construction. - A memorandum of understanding with Sky Packet for requested space on county communication towers on Dans Rock, and a memorandum of understanding with the State Highway Administration for communication towers on Dans Rock and Martins Mountain.
The consent agenda passed on a single motion. Specific vote tallies and motion movers/seconders were not recorded in the meeting transcript.
Separately, a representative of the county legal department read a summary of a February closed session, saying the board had met in closed session under the Annotated Code of Maryland, General Provisions Article, Section 3‑305, to consider a business location proposal, to conduct collective bargaining negotiations, and to receive legal advice. The representative said commissioners authorized staff to continue negotiations on property acquisition and economic development incentives and authorized staff to continue negotiations regarding provisions of a labor management agreement; no final actions were taken in the closed session.
No further formal actions tied directly to the Horton neighborhood presentation were taken at the meeting; staff reiterated the Horton presentation was for public comment and for later deliberation at a scheduled work session.
