SALISBURY – The City Council decided this week to move ahead in applying for state funds to demolish an old building so it can be used as a new medical education center by PRMC.
A resolution of the City of Salisbury to approve a Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, Strategic Demolition and Smart Growth Impact Fund Grant application to fund the demolition, remediation and site development of the former Daily Times building came before the City Council on Monday evening for approval.
The resolution states, “the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) have solicited applications from eligible jurisdictions to apply for funding under the Strategic Demolition and Smart Growth Impact Fund (SD-SGIF) program for FY 2015. The City of Salisbury is eligible to apply for funds from DHCD through this program.
“… The City has partnered with Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC), Salisbury University (SU), and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) to obtain funding through the DHCD Strategic Demolition and Smart Growth Impact Fund to demolish the former Daily Times Building for future development into a mixed use retail and educational facility in Downtown Salisbury.”
Upon the council’s approval, the City of Salisbury will endorse the project, and request for financial assistance in the form of a $575,000 grant to provide funds for the demolition, remediation and site development.
Assistant City Administrator Terence Arrington explained the grant invests in activities that accelerate economic development, job production, and smart growth projects in existing Maryland communities. It aims to redevelop underutilized and vacant buildings and land by investing in projects that have a high economic and revitalization impact within existing Maryland communities. Eligible projects for this grant include but are not limited to site acquisition and assembly, demolition of derelict non-contributing structures, site development, and construction stage architectural and engineering designs.
PRMC has already purchased the existing structure and land, and with council approval, staff will submit an application to fund the demolition, site development and engineering designs for a mixed-use facility. The grant application is due by July 15. As part of the application, a resolution of support from the local governing body is required.
Arrington furthered the proposed project is six stories and will house SU’s nursing program and UMES’s pharmacy program.
“What we have done is partner with PRMC, SU and UMES to demo the existing structure and redevelop that property into an Eastern Shore Medical Center,” Arrington said. “It is preliminary. We will definitely need to take it back, pick it apart and discuss in further detail but overall we want to prepare this application for DHCD to show we are on the right path with downtown revitalization bringing these critical programs to downtown Salisbury working in conjunction with PRMC.”
Council President Jake Day stated his support for applying for the funds for such a project.
“The interesting thing here is the first time since PRMC was built you see the city and the hospital working together, and the state working together, and this time I am really impressed with SU and UMES working together all to invest in downtown Salisbury,” he said.
The council voted 4-0 with Councilwoman Terry Cohen absent to approve the resolution.