A plan to convert the Bel Air Reckord Armory garages into something useful has taken yet another turn, but the project is back on the track, literally, the town's economic development director says.
The project, moving into its eighth year, has been modified, so that garages will be retrofitted to become three business incubator spaces and two spaces will be used for a future farmers market related venture, Economic Development Director Trish Heidenreich said.
But instead of refitting the fronts of the garages with new facades, Heidenreich said the garage doors, which run on tracks into the ceiling of each unit, will have to remain, as a concession to the historic significance of the L-shaped building, which is behind the armory.
Heidenreich briefed members of the town staff and the Board of Town Commissioners about the project during a May 2 retreat at the Kaufman Cancer Center at the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center.
Following a meeting with members of the Maryland Historic Trust in February, modifications were made to the previous plan, she said. The Historical Trust's blessing for the project is important because the bulk of the funding is coming from state grants.
Previous estimates on the cost of retrofitting the garages and landscaping the site have been as much as $900,000, which prompted some skepticism when the town commissioners held a lengthy discussion about the project last June and then agreed, with some reluctance, to keep going with it.
The town previously received state grants totaling $225,000 to design the conversion of the building and to upgrade electrical and plumbing and other infrastructure. Some earlier grants that were supposed to be used to build a farmers market structure in another part of town - totaling $277,000 - are also in hand. Town officials abandoned that idea.
Originally conceived as the Armory Marketplace, the intention had been to make the garage spaces available either for retail, crafts workshops or incubator spaces for small businesses just starting out.
The Historic Trust people, however, didn't like the idea of retail, Heidenreich said, so she proposed scrapping that concept and sticking with incubator spaces and a future farmers market venue that would be used in concert with the adjoining park along the south side of the armory property.
"It can drive a person crazy dealing with the Historic Trust," Town Administrator Jesse Bane said, calling the experience a very frustrating thing.
"The project is still moving forward; we are compromising to move forward," Heidenreich said, noting such compromises are needed to secure future funding from the state.
Heidenreich said she put out bids for the construction phase in late April and hopes to have a contract proposal to them in early June. Internal demolition and construction would be timed for the July to October period this year, with exterior construction and landscaping to follow next year.
"Everyone wants incubators; we plan to stay true to incubators," she said, adding that some of the uses could change over time as the project evolves and town officials are able to better gauge demand for the spaces.
Some of those at the work session, particularly Director of Administration Michael Krantz, were incredulous that the garage doors will have to remain, rather than following the original plan of removing them and creating an exterior door and front windows on each space.
"So that means we have to literally build around the garage doors infrastructure," he said, to which Heidenreich replied in the affirmative.
She also said, however, that the redesign would incorporate a facade behind the some of the doors that will open, and the units will have a drop-down ceiling below the door when it is in the ceiling in an open position.
Planning Director Kevin Small said the town will retain a lot of flexibility, and Heidenreich said regardless of any reservations, the project is moving forward and will give the town a use for the garages, "other than for parking cars or stuffing junk in them."
Heidenreich said Thursday she has a revised plan with the latest alterations to satisfy the Historic Trust. One part of the middle of the building will be retrofitted to serve as a common restroom facility for the other five spaces, she said.
"The important thing is this project is evolving," she reiterated. "We are moving forward with it."