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Hey guys, let's put on a show in the barn!
Friday, Feb. 6, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Illustration courtesy of COWIE AND ASSOCIATES
An example of how the Hughesville Bargain Barn could be renovated and revitalized.
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Hughesville business owners are excited about a plan to redevelop the historic tobacco barns as part of a vision to make the village a "walkable" and viable community, in addition to plans for an office park nearby that was recently approved by the Charles County commissioners.
Ray Mertz, a developer based in Waldorf, revealed a plan for turning the biggest barn — now known as the Bargain Barn — into a concert and banquet hall to dozens of the village's businesspeople at a meeting held recently at the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative headquarters.
Don Smolinsky, owner of All American Harley-Davidson across the street, and Les Gooding purchased the barns and property a couple of years ago. They and Mertz will work on the project together. Space in the barns is currently occupied by Habitat for Humanity, the county's Re-Use Barn and various resale vendors.
The gathering was hosted by Hughesville Happenings, a group resident Pauleen Brewer began in an effort to help the town's 70 businesses communicate better through joint events and a quarterly newsletter. She's also a member of Preserve Hughesville, a community advocacy group that has worked hard to oppose construction projects that don't align with the residents' vision for the town.
"You have to have economic growth in the town center to have a viable community," Brewer said, noting the two groups' endorse Hughesville Station, a proposed business park on a 50-acre parcel previously zoned for agricultural conservation across Route 5 from All American Harley-Davidson, and redevelopment of the barns.
The proposed venue would hold about 3,600 people and work could begin on it in a year and a half, with final completion in about three years, Mertz said at the meeting. Mertz thought of the idea because he is co-owner of Kool Productions, which hosted Regency Furniture Stadium's inaugural concert series last year.
Mertz plans to meet informally with the Charles County commissioners over the next 45 to 60 days.
"It's in the very early concept stages," Mertz said. "We wanted to make sure we came up with a concept everyone's comfortable with and engage with the business community. Hughesville is geographically central to all three [Southern Maryland] counties."
The venue would complement Hughesville Station, Mertz said, because it would attract diverse businesses that would be drawn to a cultural town center.
The Hughesville Station development was unanimously endorsed by the county's planning commission. The developers say the project's tenants could employ as many as 178 workers and furnish the county with $262,000 in yearly tax revenue. The vision for Hughesville Station includes a campus-like setting with light poles and benches, for example. Mertz has promised to build to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design "green" building standards.
George L. Robertson, head of the Charles County Department of Economic Development, said business parks, which are located "all over the county," are good for development and wealth creation, but tenants are hard to come by. He noted the importance of diversification of services and wealth and attracting high-tech manufacturing business.
People "want nature trails and parks and history," he added.
In response to an attendee's concern about how current economic conditions influences the feasibility of both Hughesville Station and the barn redevelopment, Mertz replied, "Reality is we don't expect it to be easy, but we're committed to making this happen. Hopefully we're out of this and we have a project that's approved."
Business owners said they'd like updated and expanded city water and sewer access and more opportunities to bring walking traffic.
The current septic system is dated and outgrown as it currently exists and could not support the venue's high number of visitors.
"That would be really nice," said Maxine Spence, who owns Remembrances antiques store on Old Route 5. "That would give us more opportunities to have different businesses."
Spence and her husband, Harry, said they'd like to see the post office back in the old town, more storefront space and a restaurant or tea room.
"We're very excited on doing something with the barns. The biggest problem we see is getting sewer in the town. [Sewer and water] would spearhead the whole town in redevelopment. With the economy the way it is, we're worried about financing," Smolinsky said.
"It's going to be a big asset. We need something like this to bring people back into town."
"I've said for years that the tobacco barns are a great asset waiting for life to be breathed into them. It still needs to be explored," said Charles County Commissioner Samuel N. Graves Jr. (D). He said he'd like to see the barns used as an educational way to preserve the town's tobacco history.
"I know what [the barn] was. I saw it dry up because of traffic. It's going to take a cooperative effort to make it happen. I'm doing what I can to help move it forward. I don't want our people to forget what tobacco built for this community," he said.
Mertz, Smolinsky and Gooding said they are working to try to hold a couple of special events at the barns in the spring to test the waters.
"There's a lot of issues we have to overcome," Gooding said.
He said the project could easily surpass $1 million to complete, but is unsure of the total cost in this early stage.
Mike Hill of Legacy Limousine said he has gotten better visibility since he moved his business from Waldorf to a location across from the barns, but additional development to the downtown district would be ideal. "I hope all this stuff comes to life," he said.
