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EEDC cites Main Street accreditation, visitor-center renovations and housing pressures as downtown growth accelerates
Summary
Holly Dikarski, executive director of the Eastern Economic Development Corporation, described recent Main Street accreditation, state-funded visitor center renovations, new galleries and commercial developments downtown, while warning of budget pressure, tariffs and housing decisions facing the town council.
The Eastern Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) said downtown Easton is seeing measurable growth — new galleries, mixed-use construction and plans to host the 2025 Maryland Main Street Conference — even as nonprofit budgets and small businesses face pressure from broader economic trends.
"We just received our accreditation again for our Main Street... there is a ton of reporting and work that goes into it," said Holly Dikarski, executive director of the EEDC, highlighting what she described as a competitive achievement and a sign of sustained downtown investment.
Dikarski said the EEDC will begin renovations to the visitor center (where the organization’s offices are located), noting the project had secured state funding. She also highlighted a forthcoming Main Street conference that she said will bring more than 400 Main Street practitioners to Easton for multiple days of tours and workshops.
At the same time, Dikarski warned of constraints coming from federal and state budget choices and possible tariffs that have increased supply costs for local businesses. "Most places have started to raise their prices on those goods that our businesses have to acquire," she said, urging residents to "shop small and support local."
On housing, Dikarski said the newly seated town council faces recommendations from a housing task force that will require difficult choices, including discussion of inclusionary zoning. She listed several residential projects in the pipeline — projects around the Veil Trail, "Gannon Range," and a 55-and-over community in Dutchmans — saying the town must balance growth while protecting small-town character.
Dikarski also said a hospital project has broken ground and is expected to arrive within three years, which she framed as infrastructure that will benefit the community. She noted both opportunities and constraints and underscored local leaders’ role in managing growth.
The broadcast did not include line-item budgets, permitting timelines or final vote dates for zoning changes; those items were not specified during the conversation.
