Hagerstown Magazine - The Best of Life in Washington County & Beyond

The A-B-Cs of MD's Arts & Entertainment District Program
Maryland’s Arts & Entertainment District Program Offers Tools to Transform Downtown Hagerstown.

by Christine Miller Ford + photos by Jason Turner, illustration courtesy of WC Board of Education

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When he looks at downtown Hagerstown today, local artist Benjamin Humberson sees a city on the brink of an artistic renaissance — a rebirth of the arts that’s closely linked to Maryland’s Arts & Entertainment District Program. “I’m seeing Hagerstown becoming a more artsy, interesting place all the time, and it’s great,” says Benjamin, who relocated to Hagerstown from Garrett County eight years ago and sells his work at the Washington County Arts Council Gallery on West Washington Street. “You meet other artists; you meet prospective clients. I intend to take full advantage of what’s available through the program.”

Artist incentives include an income tax break — but the program’s benefits are much larger in scope. “This is not a tool designed to help artists per se,” explains Elizabeth Carven, director of the 5-year-old state program. “This is an economic development tool specifically aimed at revitalizing a community. It’s great to have artists interested, but you really need to get the support and input of the business community. You need the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, various individual business owners along with the local government leaders, the mayor, the city council, the tourism person. You need all these individual elements to come together. That’s when a district finds success.”

Matt Donegan of Bowman Development Corp. — now renovating a building on South Potomac Street to house a new restaurant, office space and a luxury condo — couldn’t agree more. Even rival developers are working together, with a shared goal of remaking Hagerstown’s once-thriving center city. “None of these projects can work by themselves,” Matt says. “But as developers take these stagnant buildings in need of repair and remake them into places where people can come for cultural offerings, you’re adding so much color to Downtown, so much activity. When you have a lot of people around, you have a greater level of security. And then all these things start to create a buzz that spurs even more development Downtown.”

Re-Thinking the District
While local economic development officials see great promise in Hagerstown’s A&E District, they aren’t raving about the program just yet. “To be honest, we haven’t had a lot of proactive marketing of our Arts and Entertainment District,” says Kathleen Maher, planning director for the City of Hagerstown. “It’s another means of offering incentives to locate Downtown, but it’s not gotten to the point where you could really see the district as a distinct Downtown area.”

Kevin Moriarty, executive director of the Washington County Arts Council, understands that perspective, but says the transformation of downtown Hagerstown into a cultural mecca has just begun. Though Hagerstown’s A&E District was designated in 1999, major changes are underway to make the program work better, he says. The city is in the process of altering the A&E District’s boundaries to include adjoining blocks with smaller properties more suited to becoming an artist’s home/work space/gallery. “With the present geographic boundaries, the district — the four blocks surrounding the Public Square and any facing properties — is full of huge buildings,” Kevin says. “I don’t know of many artists in the market for a $1.5 million studio. We’re working with the city to expand the boundaries so that the district can offer artists the intended benefits.”

Kevin also anticipates a huge boost in the program’s success when the former Henry’s Theatre debuts as The Barbara Ingram School for the Arts. The four-year, regional charter school — which is slated to open in fall 2009 — will have an enrollment of 300 students and will offer a rigorous academic program as well as specialized training in the visual arts, music, theater and dance. “Having all these creatively minded young people downtown is going to bring a huge change to the whole area,” Kevin says. “It’s going to automatically make downtown a much more lively place.”

The Maryland Theater is eager to have the school as a neighbor, says Jenni Hatcher, the theater’s executive director. “As wonderful as it’s going to be for downtown, it’s even more exciting to think what a difference the school will make for the young people of the county. Students are really going to have the chance to be inspired. We can’t wait.” With the school in place downtown, Hagerstown will get yet another layer of culture. “Washington County already has so many different ways to enjoy the arts — the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, our theater,” Jenni says. “Working together, we’re going to be able to offer students a really diverse arts experience.”

Calling All Artists
Besides the new school, a new program to recruit artists to Washington County could make a major difference for the A&E District. Modeled on an effort in Paducah, Ky., the arts council plans to reach out to artists living in other parts of the country and clearly spell out the plusses offered here — including the area’s natural beauty, affordability, access to D.C. markets and the state tax credits available to artists.

“We have to stop looking down all the time. We have to start looking up and just dream up what we want to do and then do it. So often, you hear people say, ‘Why can’t we be more like Frederick?’ ‘Why can’t we be more like Gaithersburg?’ Well, actually, we don’t want to be like any other place. We need to embrace this city’s unique heritage,” Kevin says. “When we stop trying to be something we’re not, we’re going to see things really start to happen here.”

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Hagerstown Arts and Entertainment District
Kathleen Maher, director, City Of Hagerstown Planning Department
1 E. Franklin St., Room 400, Hagerstown
301-739-8577, ext. 140

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A&E Basics
Arts & Entertainment Districts Offer Tax Incentives and a Unique ‘Sense of Place.’

One major plus for cities, counties or other jurisdictions that become part of Maryland’s innovative Arts and Entertainment District program: They can offer tax incentives to businesses and artists in the designated area. Some of the benefits offered through the A&E program include property tax credits for the renovation of certain buildings that create home/work space for artists, an income tax break for income earned from art work, and an exemption from the Admissions and Amusement tax.

While each A&E District is unique, some common ground exists. Nearly across the board, the districts are mixed-use areas, clearly labeled and widely recognized, with a high concentration of destinations focused on arts and culture. The districts generally are small, encompassing no more than 12 blocks.

An area’s history, cultural development and local mission determine the feel of its A&E District. Supporters of the program point out that while shopping malls and big-box retailers are the same everywhere, each district offers a unique “sense of place” that invites return visits.

Other Maryland locales with A&E Districts include Baltimore, Berlin, Bethesda, Cambridge, Caroline County, Cumberland, Elkton, Frederick, Prince George’s, Salisbury, Silver Spring, Snow Hill and Wheaton.

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