Back to Portfolio East Street Corridor / Downtown Frederick Master Plan

Frederick Department of Economic Development

Location Frederick, Maryland

Downtown Frederick, MD suffered from intense flooding until a $60 million infrastructure investment was completed in 1993. Additionally, the city acquired more than 28 acres of private property as part of the East Street extension. As a result, the downtown was left with large swaths of underutilized industrial properties and unsightly infrastructure.

Through a week long charrette, Design Collective prepared a redevelopment strategy for the study area including urban design, land use, design guidelines, open space, and infrastructure improvements. The charrette included participation from historic preservation advocates, developers, property owners, the City’s economic development agency, residents, and small business owners. The proposed redevelopment strategy received virtually unanimous approval from charrette participants.

The master plan outlined disposition strategies for the sale and development of public land, recommended construction of public parking structures, required a balance of historic preservation and adaptive use with new infill construction, recommended an “industrial-mill” architectural and urban design aesthetic for new development, and included 400,000 SF of office, 150,000 SF of retail, and 300 new residential units. At the time of the plan, combined public and private sector investments were estimated to generate 1500 jobs and $2.5M in annual city and county property taxes.

Since the plans adoption, over $150 million of private investment has led the transformation into a vibrant, mixed-use, transit-oriented district, including a new MARC commuter train station; South Market Center, 42,000 SF office/retail (architecture by Design Collective); Maxwell Place, 68-unit condo building (architecture by Design Collective); Carroll Creek Park, a $10 million public park and two public parking structures.

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