The county's Arundel Center North office building would become a community college campus and centerpiece of Glen Burnie's Superblock development in a plan proposed by County Executive John G. Gary.
Mr. Gary has asked Anne Arundel Community College President Martha A. Smith to prepare a proposal, including cost estimates, for taking over the five-story building adjacent to the Superblock, a long-vacant 5.6-acre parcel in the heart of Glen Burnie.
He said he will try to obtain between $500,000 and $1 million in state funds, possibly in the form of economic development or housing grants, to offset some construction costs to make the Superblock project more attractive to a developer.
As part of the downtown renewal project, Mr. Gary said he wants to include an ice skating rink that could be converted into an amphitheater for outdoor concerts during the summer, an amenity long desired by local residents.
Having the community college take over the Arundel Center North would act as "the glue to pull together the development in that area," Mr. Gary said. "They would like to expand their horizons. I would like to introduce more services to the North County, particularly retraining people who might have lost their jobs."
County offices, including the supervisor of elections and Health Department, would be moved to the Heritage Office Complex on Riva Road in Parole. A satellite building permit application center would be moved to a nearby county office building in Glen Burnie.
Dr. Smith said her data shows the greatest percentage of students studying at the community college's Arnold campus come from North County, and the largest percentage of North County students come from Glen Burnie. "So it's a strong student population base," she said.
"I believe there are many, many people in the county who would like to attend Anne Arundel Community College" but can't because the location is not convenient, Dr. Smith said. "So I think what we want to do is eliminate as many of those barriers as we can."
About 20 to 25 classes are already offered each semester at the Arundel Center North building, including courses in computers, basic skills and general education. Taking over the complex would mean that one or two entire programs, such as business administration, could be located there, Dr. Smith said.
If successful, Mr. Gary's plan will end more than a decade of fruitless efforts to develop the Superblock, located on Ritchie Highway near Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard. The latest push fell through in August after the county balked at providing $2.2 million in financial aid to the developer, George W. Stone.
Mr. Gary said he thinks he can put together a deal that will make the project feasible for a developer if he can secure a grant from the state.
"We don't need that much. Somewhere between $500,000 and $1 million," he said. The county would pick up any part of the project the state could not fund. "We're very close to making this all happen," he said.
Part of the money would be used to pay for sewer and water connection fees and would go to the county. Money is also needed to subsidize the cost of building 120 condominiums.
Mr. Gary would like to see a grocery locate in the complex, along with restaurants, a pharmacy and shops. "All these things are mom-and-pop businesses that employ lots of people," he said. "I think this thing will generate probably hundreds of jobs by the time it's done."
Mr. Gary said he hopes to obtain the state money during this legislative session. He will again ask developers to submit proposals and expects to begin grading work by midsummer. "I think we're going to make it happen and we're going to make it happen quickly," he said.