Monthly Archives: December 2016

Beth Cole: …I’d like to stress that the (Birely) building DOES have a strong link to a major 19th century industry: tanning. The draft DOE seriously exaggerates the extent of rebuilding needed after the early 20th century fire, as evidenced … Continue reading →

The City-sponsored Downtown Hotel & Conference Center (DH&CC) on which some $84 million is proposed to be spent has been valued by City financial consultant MuniCap at $29.1m. That number is shown at the end of a couple of pages … Continue reading →

The Mayor & Board of Aldermen exhibit no curiosity about the costs or value of their pet hotel project. City project manager Griffin said last summer the $121m cost estimate by consultant Forella ($94m without Parking Deck 6) was inflated … Continue reading →

In his first interview since two state agencies walked away from his MOU City project director Richard Griffin says that the hotel project can be built without state dollars. It would need to be ‘re-scoped’ but the hotel ‘team’ remains … Continue reading →

Mr Kenneth C Holt, Secretary, Department of Housing & Community Development, 7800 Harkins Road, Lanham MD 20706   Dec 9, 2016 Dear Mr Holt: A number of us here in Frederick have taken a close interest in the City-sponsored Downtown Hotel and Conference … Continue reading →

Richard Griffin, director of the City Department of Economic Development and project manager for the Downtown Hotel & Conference Center on the Frederick News-Post’s new Frederick Uncut podcast with host Colin McGuire and City Hall reporter Nancy Lavin: 2016:12:06

NOTES FOR PUBLIC HEARING ON LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES OF FREDERICK COUNTY DELEGATION TO ANNAPOLIS  On the downtown hotel, please kill this crock of a project, put it out of its misery. It is never going to be built. This thing has … Continue reading →

“The City and County believe that the Return on Investment (ROI) to the public sector (of $31m of taxpayer support for the hotel project) does not come through ownership of the conference center but rather through the robust catalytic  economic … Continue reading →