Over the past month, a talented design team from Bates Architects and Peter Fillat Architects has presented information regarding the design and background of the exciting new proposed Downtown Hotel at Carroll Creek. The hotel and conference center is proposed as a full-service Marriott with approximately 183 guest rooms, 20,000 square feet of net rentable meeting space and structured public parking. The next HPC workshop is scheduled for August 31st at 6PM at City Hall.
The unique project design has been crafted after careful consideration of many concepts. The design delicately balances programmatic, historic, community, and fiscal needs. It includes the full renovation and adaptive reuse of the historic Frederick Railway Terminal Building along with the proposed new infill construction of the Downtown Hotel.
Due to physical constraints coupled with programmatic and fiscal challenges, the project requires the selective deconstruction and removal of the former Birely “Tannery” Building which has been vacant for many years. Based on the HPC guidelines regarding demolition, the design team believes that the retention of the Birely Building would be a deterrent to the construction of a major community improvement program and would not be in the best interest of the majority of citizens. The team does not take lightly the building removal, and is fully prepared to implement mitigation strategies developed in collaboration with the HPC, MHT, and community. The Downtown Hotel at Carroll Creek can help educate and excite thousands of citizens and visitors alike each year about our rich heritage including the tanning industry and its workforce.
The City and its partners at the County, State, and Tourism Council will be funding the purchase of development site (land) and construction of public improvements including the on-site structured parking garage which will be open to the public and related streetscape, roadway, and utility improvements. The project developer, Plamondon Hospitality Partners – a local Frederick company - will be solely paying to construct, operate, and maintain the hotel and meeting space above the city parking garage.
This major community capital improvement project is led by long-time Frederick businessman Earl H. Robbins, Jr. and includes leadership from the City, County, Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Partnership, Tourism Council, and many business, resident, and community leaders.
