More On A Changing Frederick
November 10, 2007
Lizfrog posted about the Downtown Frederick Partnership’s study on whether chain stores should be kept out of Frederick. This in-depth article by Matthew Robb in the Washington Post explores the issue further.
But as Carroll Creek Park sends out ripples of economic revitalization, some say Frederick is changing too much, too fast. Office buildings and parking decks are multiplying. Residential and commercial rents are rising. Long-term residents are leaving. As the economic tide pushes old faces out and draws new faces in, people are asking: Is quaint Frederick at risk of losing what makes it special?
I wonder how this will shake out?
~Guy~
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Interesting article. It’s funny how all the same arguments that are made are the same ones said here…how there used to be chains, how there’s room for a mix and also those who don’t want any chains for fear of losing Frederick’s historic charm.
I never knew former mayor Young had such grand hopes for the Carroll Creek project. And I have to say I agree that it would have been better to make the first floor of the condos along the creek retail. Hopefully no one will take offense, but I think those condos are kind of bland and boring looking. Having little shops and eateries at the main level would have given them some interest.
Thanks for posting that article Guy. Very interesting!
~Liz~
Liz, when I wrote that article for The Washington Post, I was summarizing the long-held concerns of Frederick’s residents. People have been kicking around these issues for years, but the recent growth spurt downtown has moved the discussion from the realm of the theoretical to the very real.
And that touches on the key passage in my piece: If the city’s target is met — 20 percent national franchises/chains downtown by 2017 — Frederick’s residents in 10 years will count an additional 35 or more brand-name businesses downtown. Whether that is good or bad, that’s for Frederick’s citizens to decide, but such a critical mass of national stores may well change downtown’s flavor forever.
MMRobb–fascinating article on Frederick downtown’s future. Thanks much.
MMRobb–thanks to you and the Post editors for running such a well-crafted and thoughtful article. I sent copies of the piece to a number of former Frederick residents and other Marylanders in my acquaintance now living elsewhere. All expressed similar mixed feelings about Carroll Creek Park specifically and where Frederick seems to be headed in general. It’s a quandary–how to preserve that “step back in time” ambiance and sense of history while moving forward and thriving in the success of the present.