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Developer says Neighborhood Facility building is gutted and ready; county, residents press for lease details
Summary
Developer Ernst Valerie said he has invested more than $1 million to remediate hazardous materials and roof the Neighborhood Facility Building; the county says the property remains county‑owned and is leased (reported as $1 per year plus taxes), while residents asked for public lease records and protections if the developer fails to complete promised work.
Ernst Valerie, the Baltimore‑area developer working under a long‑term lease of the Neighborhood Facility Building, told the Board of Supervisors he and his team have removed hazardous materials, sealed the roof and invested more than $1 million toward a mixed‑use redevelopment that would add a café, brewery, telehealth space and amenities aimed at trail users.
"We've made a long term commitment to this county," Valerie said, describing a plan that also includes market space, a brewery and overnight lodging for trail users. He said the developer has done demolition and hazardous‑materials abatement and is awaiting final contractor bids to continue interior build‑out.
County officials told the workshop the property remains owned by the county and is under a ground lease; the board said the lease requires the developer to pay real estate taxes and that about $60,000 in back taxes were not previously billed and are now known to be due. In response to an audience question about lease price, a county official said the current arrangement is a nominal $1 per year plus payment of real estate taxes.
Residents asked several procedural questions: what protections exist if the developer fails to complete build‑out, whether the county attorney reviewed and approved the final lease, and which documents are releasable to the public. The interim administrator said some draft documents are covered by attorney‑client privilege, but that the board can and will review what can legally be published; he also said the county included performance covenants and reserved remedies to repurpose the building or terminate the lease if development milestones are not met.
Public commenters and at least one attorney in the audience pressed for the county to make the final lease and the attorney email chain public to confirm that requested attorney edits were incorporated. The county said it would follow up and, where legally permissible, publish responsive documents and answers to specific questions in writing.
For developers, county officials said the redevelopment is intended to produce taxes and business activity without the county having to pay demolition costs (county had considered demolition at an estimated $380,000 in 2019) and to provide amenities for residents. The board invited further written questions and said it would return more detailed answers at future workshops.
Next steps: county staff to confirm which lease documents can be released publicly, provide performance‑covenant language and timelines to the public, and respond to written questions submitted by residents.
