CUMBERLAND — Gov. Wes Moore was all smiles when he arrived on the downtown mall Thursday morning, greeting Mayor Ray Morriss with a hug and a handshake.
Moore and his team got an up-close look at progress on the city’s Baltimore Street Revitalization Project, and visited businesses like Wheelzup Adventures and the revitalized Rosenbaum building.
“I want all Marylanders to know how beautiful this city is,” Moore said.
The mall project, which began in March 2023, will open the pedestrian mall to vehicle and bicycle traffic and update aging infrastructure. With the project nearing completion, a reopening celebration has been set for 11 a.m. Nov. 14. The event will be followed by a weekend of activities throughout downtown.
The governor also received a briefing about the Wills Hotel, which will be at the corner of Baltimore and Liberty streets.
“This is a great example of partnership from the federal to the local level,” said Allegany County Director of Tourism Ashli Workman.
The hotel is slated to open next summer.
“It’s gorgeous,” Moore said.
The governor and Morriss each placed a brick that will line Baltimore Street, then the group continued to the renovated Rosenbaum building and spoke with owners Chris Hendershot and Garrett Eagan.
Moore asked them how they found the businesses to populate the space.
“We used personal connections to find business owners,” Hendershot said, citing the benefits of living in a small town.
Moore and the group then met with a couple of Canadian travelers stopping by the Rosenbaum from their trip on the Great Allegheny Passage.
“This is the best part of the GAP trail,” Moore told them.
Morriss said that the presence of international tourists was a “common” sight in downtown Cumberland.
Moore also toured Canal Place and heard a presentation on the proposed river park project, which would include docks for canoe and kayak access as well as a moderate whitewater course on the North Branch Potomac River behind Canal Place.
According to Janice Keene, chair of the Canal Place Preservation and Development Authority, the project could be completed by 2028.
“This will give people more reason to stop in Cumberland on the way to Deep Creek (Lake),” Keene said.
“This is going to be a gateway for people to learn about Maryland,” Moore said of the river park. “It’s so good to be back here.”
Moore said the progression of the projects shows that working together can get things done, even if it takes a long time. He highlighted the accomplishments of the state and local sector on getting projects moving.
“I’m a firm believer that partnership produces progress,” Moore said. “When you watch the local government work with the state, it’s difficult not to get excited.”
Moore said that he has always enjoyed the mountains of Western Maryland, and has come to the area many of times with his family.
“I want the entire state to understand the beauty of Western Maryland,” he said.