HAGERSTOWN, MD (October 16, 2018) – Washington County Government celebrated the launching of Making Connections during a groundbreaking ceremony at Crayton Boulevard. This campaign consists of four public-private partnerships that will bridge the way for new development and growth opportunities. These development projects will have a positive, lasting impact on the County through an increase in economic development, connecting roadways to provide direct and alternate transportation routes, increasing public safety by reducing emergency response time, and creating additional pedestrian access through concrete sidewalks and bus stops.

County Administrator Rob Slocum said, “ Making Connections fits this initiative so well in that it’s as much about public private connections or relationships as it is about road connections. We are excited to build both for the community!”   

During this campaign, the County will highlight four projects:

Crayton Boulevard is the first project the County is highlighting in this campaign. This project has already broken ground and will extend Crayton Boulevard to connect with Showalter Road, resulting in a direct connection between Maugans Avenue and Showalter Road. Phase I of this project involves the construction of a three-lane closed section roadway that will extend from the current end point of Crayton Boulevard. This will open up approximately 150 acres of land spanning across two parcels ready for development of commercial building sites and a business park. The total budget for Phase I is $3,165,000—$1,665,000 is from local funding, $1 million was received through an Appalachian Regional Commission federal grant, and $500,000 is from developer contributions.

To further the public-private partnership, Trammell Crow has plans to build a 1.2 million square foot building with a tenant already in mind. This will total over $75 million of investment into local economic development.

The County has partnered with several public and private entities to make this project a success. Those partnerships include: Bowman Development Corporation , Trammell Crow Company , Perini Industrial Land, LLC , Fayetteville Contractors Inc. , Appalachian Regional Commission , Tri-County Council , Maryland Department of Planning , Maryland Department of Commerce , Maryland Department of Transportation , and Federal Highway Administration .