Harford County's new administration is consolidating all of its economic development agencies in one location - a shopping center on Route 40 between Aberdeen and Havre de Grace that is owned by two political supporters of County Executive Barry Glassman.
Glassman last week announced a reorganization plan for the Office of Economic Development to improve customer service and promote local economic growth, while also saving money on leasing expenses, according to a statement, in which he said the changes will allow Harford to "lead the way as Maryland's new center of opportunity."
That move is one of several expected to affect the county government's leases with landlords, whose buildings provide space for a variety of government activities in Bel Air and at other locations throughout the county.
The Economic Development Office activities will be consolidated at Swan Creek Village Center at 2021 Pulaski Highway where the county has been leasing space for a number of years for a satellite office created to facilitate relationships among the county and other area local governments, the private sector and Aberdeen Proving Ground during BRAC.
"This consolidation will create synergies in service delivery and provide a modern one-stop-shop for business to launch, relocate and grow in Harford County," Glassman said. "The site's proximity to Aberdeen Proving Ground will promote direct access to companies and cutting-edge technology. Consolidating on the Route 40 corridor will also further the area's revitalization."
Centralized operation
The main Economic Development Office functions will be transferred from Bel Air to Swan Creek, county officials said, with the county taking an additional 8,597 square feet. When the move is completed early next year, the county will have a total of 12,645 square feet of leased space at Swan Creek, county spokesperson Cindy Mumby said.
The lease for the additional space, for which the county will pay $196,699.36 a year plus taxes, utilities, common area maintenance and insurance, was approved by the county Board of Estimates on Dec. 16.
"This will help increase the visibility of the OED [Office of Economic Development] office," Erin Schafer, chief of property management for the county, told board members prior to their vote to approve the lease addendum for the additional space.
The existing lease, covering 4,048 square feet, is $90,285.12 annually plus taxes, utilities, common area maintenance and insurance, Mumby said.
The estimates board also approved spending up to $260,000 for "build out," or improvements to the space. Part of the funding is in the existing county budget for "facilities renovation, capital projects," Mumby said, while the remainder will be in a similar line item in the 2015-16 budget.
Swan Creek Village Center is owned by Rock Glenn Commercial LLC, whose principals are Robert Hockaday and Dr. Richard Streett Jr., two Bel Air-based businessmen and developers who were early and active supporters of Glassman in his successful bid for the county executive's office, Mumby confirmed.
The day after Glassman was elected, Hockaday joined him for a meeting to discuss the transition with outgoing county executive David Craig, while Streett was a member of Glassman's transition committee. Glassman's campaign and transition office were housed in a Bel Air building owned by the pair.
"There's no official relationship," Mumby said. "They [Streett and Hockaday] are supporters as properly disclosed in filings with the State Board of Elections."
Mumby also pointed out that the existing lease at Swan Creek Center was entered into by the previous administration and that the decision to stay at Swan Creek, rather than moving to other office space in proximity to Aberdeen Proving Ground, was based on a number of factors, such as the site's location, visibility, amenities and the existing working relationship with the landlord.
"The entire consolidation will better position the county government to assist businesses," Mumby said, calling the location the "best fit" to achieve that objective.
"We came to the conclusion we could hit the ground running and get Harford County open for business by going with our existing lease rather than starting from scratch," she added.
Existing county activities housed at Swan Creek include The GROUNDFLOOR at Harford business incubator and the Chesapeake Science and Security Corridor, which is a consortium of representatives of Harford County, as well as from Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Cecil County, plus New Castle County, Del. and Chester, Lancaster and York County, Pa., whose purpose was to implement the 2005 to 2011 BRAC process of growth at APG and managing the impact on the surrounding areas.
Karen Holt, the county's new director of economic development, formerly was in charge of the CSSC BRAC office at Swan Creek, and her familiarity with the location and clients in the area was another factor in deciding to consolidate at that location, Mumby said.
"It's a culture change, but it will serve to drive innovation here in Harford County, leverage the partnerships that reinforce our commitment to small business and avoid duplication of effort," Holt said in a statement.
Other shifts
In addition to the economic development administrative functions, the Harford Business Innovation Center, housed in space in Belcamp that the county leases for $165,000 a year, will be moved to the Swan Creek Village Center. That lease, actually a sublease from SURVICE Engineering LLC, covers 9,000 square feet and is due to expire Jan. 31, 2015, Mumby said. She added that had the county renewed, the landlord wanted a three-year lease. The leases at Swan Creek are year-to-year with renewal options.
Bringing the four agencies under one roof will allow employees to be more collaborative through shared work and meeting areas. The facility will also have a training center, business incubation space for as many as six start-up firms and a technology lab "with proposed 3-D capability," according to a county news release.
The up-to-date facility and technology will also allow staffers to meet with clients at the main office or work remotely when meeting with clients in the field, according to the news release.
County officials plan to make the move "as soon as possible," with a target date of late January, Mumby said.
Part of the additional space the county is taking at Swan Creek, 1,491 square feet, is occupied by the offices of three small companies who pay combined annual rent of $52,280. They will continue as sub-tenants of the county, Mumby explained, although some of their space will be reconfigured in the renovations for the whole area covered in the county's lease.
"They are providing services that mesh with a one-stop shop for businesses," Mumby said about the sub-tenants that she identified as E Moxie, BRTRC and Logical Ventures, whose services include technology, contracting and "federal solutions."
In addition to being able to put the sub-lease payments toward its lease at Swan Creek and ending the Belcamp lease, Mumby said the move of the economic development main office will free up 3,500 square feet in the county's main administrative building in Bel Air at 220 S. Main St.
One potential candidate for moving into that space is the Human Resources Department which moved to leased space on Hays Street in Bel Air during the previous administration. The county pays $72,000 annually to lease 3,754 square feet from Hays Street Associates Limited Partnership, Mumby said. The lease runs until March 31, 2015.
While moving human resources to the county building is under consideration, Mumby cautioned that no final decision has been made.
Aegis staff member Allan Vought contributed to this article.