CUMBERLAND — The city is offering residents yard signs to encourage shopping at downtown stores and restaurants that have suffered financial losses since a construction project began nearly a year ago.
The $16 million renovation of Baltimore Street is expected to be finished by fall.
Meanwhile, some businesses have struggled to stay afloat as the project caused them problems including water outages, closed streets, access to their buildings and fewer customers.
On Thursday, Downtown Development Commission Executive Director Melinda Kelleher said she ordered 250 signs and will get more if needed.
“We would like it to be one per household for homes or businesses,” she said Thursday.
Signs and stakes are available in the City Hall basement weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“Our hope is that the community shows their support for the downtown businesses always but particularly now during construction, and the signs remind people to shop local,” Kelleher said.
She said the idea for the signs came from Kenda Schramm, co-owner of Gus & Oliver Children’s Boutique on North Centre Street.
“We were discussing marketing for the shops and she suggested it,” Kelleher said.
Schramm said she thought of the signs as a way to advertise the downtown businesses.
“We need to put the word out there,” she said.
‘Great idea’
Larry Jackson co-owns Western Maryland Music Center on Baltimore Street and is vice chairman of the DDC board.
“I think Melinda is doing a wonderful job in navigating the whole construction process,” he said. “It’s a very big ordeal when you’re totally redoing the heart of your commercial district downtown.”
The shop local sign initiative is “a great idea, one that has merit even beyond the construction period,” Jackson said.
“Fortunately our business has remained strong throughout the construction period,” he said.
“We appreciate the support from the local musical community, including working and aspiring musicians, students and educators,” Jackson said.
Roger Lantz owns M&M Bakery on Baltimore Street.
The shop local signs will help spread the word that downtown is open for business despite the construction project, he said.
His business, which opens at 5:30 a.m., has fewer customers now than before the renovation started, but is “doing OK,” Lantz said.
“A lot of people are coming in before work,” he said. “It’s working out for me. I’m happy.”
Construction crews are “working hard out there,” Lantz said.
Business down
Some merchants said downtown needs more help than what the signs might provide.
Jessica Harding co-owns the Baltimore Street Grill.
In January, she told the Cumberland Times-News the restaurant was struggling.
Local businesses and customers responded to help.
“The Grill is doing OK,” she said Thursday. “We had the really great outreach from the community, which did help us get caught up on some mortgage payments and kept us out of the red in our bank account.”
But now, customer traffic has slowed, Harding said.
“They re-closed the roads on Monday and it (has) become excessively difficult to move around downtown,” she said of construction crews. “Not to mention the mud and gravel are so sporadic. We are grateful that we had the outreach that we did. I just guess it’s not sustainable.”
The restaurant lost more than $100,000 in sales last year, and its typical annual projected growth appears dismal, Harding said.
She applied for a grant Allegany County commissioners recently created to help the distressed downtown merchants.
“I’m grateful for any and all money that we are aided with,” Harding said.
“I really wish they could pursue some money from the state that might help,” she said.
Harding said the city should have anticipated the construction project would hurt the downtown merchants.
“Money should’ve been put in the planning to get all the businesses that have been down here through this renovation,” she said.
Bill Shaffer owns City Lights American Grill on Baltimore Street.
Business at the restaurant is down 40% and staff went from 15 to nine employees since the renovation started.
He said customers are unhappy about the construction.
“They hate it,” Shaffer said. “Especially the out-of-towners.”
On Thursday, City Lights served about nine customers for lunch, he said, and added that number was typically 50 before the construction project.
Grant program
Like the Grill, City Lights applied for the grant Allegany County commissioners approved in January to help the downtown businesses.
The county allocated $50,000 for the program.
City officials later agreed to give the county an additional $50,000 for the grant, although some were skeptical.
“I conceptually disagree with it,” Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss said in February.
Around that time, Cumberland Councilwoman Laurie Marchini said the city was “on board” with the grant, but added the money won’t create long-term sustainability.
“Please support our businesses,” she said. “The city really can’t fund our way out of this.”
On Thursday, Allegany County Administrator Jason Bennett said the grant application period was coming to a close, and he expects on Monday to learn how many businesses requested help.
“We have not awarded any funds yet, but will work to get the grants out the door as quickly as possible,” he said.