2026-07-21-ceda_website_packet.pdf

Exactly as extracted, unformatted — for checking against the original. The readable version is easier to read.

THE TOWN OF CENTREVILLE 101 LAWYERS ROW CENTREVILLE, MD 21617
410-758-1180 FAX 410-758-4741 WWW.TOWNOFCENTREVILLE.ORG
AGENDA
Centreville Economic Development Authority
July 21st, 2026
6:00 PM
Centreville Wharf Building
101 Water Way, second floor meeting room
I. Call to Order – Chair
II. Agenda Review
III. Review of Minutes from Past Meetings
a. June 23, 2026 Meeting Minutes
IV. Opening Statement-Pat Fox, Chair
a. Reminder – CEDA meetings are recorded, for ease of transcription please keep all sidebar
conversations to a minimum
b. CEDA Binders
c. Working document for accountability strategic plan
V. Citizens Forum (Citizens are requested to keep their comments to three minutes.)
(CEDA meetings are recorded and a copy of the recording is available upon request)
VI. Appearances
VII. Old Business
a. 2015 Market Study- Review of Recommendations -Pat Fox, Chair
VIII. New Business
a. CEDA’s Role- Frederick Beu, Town Council Liaison
b. Main Street responsibilities- Gaye Adams, Economic Development Manager
c. Main Street Board and its role in conjunction with CEDA- Gaye Adams, Economic
Development Manager
d. Main Street Market Study- 2026- Gaye Adams, Economic Development Manager
IX. Business Recruitment and Business Contacts
a. Main Street
b. Outside of Main Street
X. Reports of Subcommittees:
a. Commercial Property Inventory Committee- Frank Divillio, Scott Eggert, and Harry Kaiser
b. Town-Owned Property Committee – Chris Rosendale, Christy Pulglisi and Scott Eggert
c. CEDA Development Strategies – Pat Fox, Christy Pluglisi, Kate Blackburn and Carolyn
Brinkley
XI. Reports of Department Heads
a. Town Manager
b. Zoning Administrator
c. Centreville Economic Development and Mainstreet Manager

XII. Miscellaneous Business
XIII. Citizens Forum (Citizens are requested to keep their comments to three minutes.)
XIV. Motion to Adjourn – Chair
Upcoming Meetings:
• July 22, 2026 – Board of Appeals Hearing- 7:00 p.m. – Liberty Building, 107 N. Liberty Street,
second floor meeting room
• August 6, 2026 – Town Council Meeting- 7:00 p.m. – Liberty Building, 107 N. Liberty Street,
second floor meeting room
• August 18, 2026- CEDA Meeting- 6:00 p.m. – Centreville Wharf, 101 Waters Way, first floor
meeting room
• August 19, 2026 – Planning Commission Meeting- 7:00 p.m. – Liberty Building, 107 N. Liberty
street, second floor meeting room
RECOMMENDATIONS: AUGUST
• In the month of July/August, the subcommittees should meet to provide deliverables.
• In the month of August, the Main Street steering committee should meet to provide
deliverables based on the Transformative Strategy outlined in the 2026 Market Study.
• CEDA and Main Street should have a work session to infill the Strategic Plan with
accountability.
• September 17, 2026 both groups should present at the Town Council meeting our
combined Strategy.

Centreville, Maryland
FINAL
PRESENTATION
ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
PLAN
August 6, 2015
Presented By:
Taylor Yewell – RKG Associates, Inc.

IN
SUMMARY
2

CENTREVILLE HAS
 Vacant space ready to lease and sites that are, or can be, both
permitted and served with infrastructure conducive for
business development.
 County seat, center of government activity including courts.
 A laudable quality of life with a well-educated workforce, good
K-12 education system, charter schools with quality post-
secondary education institutions located close by.
 Charming downtown area with room for more restaurants and
shops.
 A population with demographics oriented toward prime
working age and retirement age households.

CENTREVILLE SHOULD
 Work more closely with QAEDC to implement economic
development initiatives.
 Push filing existing vacant commercial spaces as a priority.
 Facilitate development of age-in-place, assisted living,
continuing care and medical services.
 Inventory and characterize the vacant downtown space for
lease before we start recruiting.
 Create a Business Incubator & obtain access to the FBI Annex
of Post Office Building.

CENTREVILLE SHOULD
 Complete master plans for the Penn Ave & Banjo Lane
Corridors to facilitate business development.
 Draft Zoning regulations for future development of
commercial frontage on Ruthsburg Road.
 Consider a part-time economic development manager position
to coordinate and execute the Town’s economic development
initiatives.
 Host & Promote events in the center, and improve signage at
the entrances of town to create a sense of place. ( From Main
Street Study)

STUDY PROCESS
Socioeconomics
Assets, Challenges & Opportunities
Recommended Economic Development
Initiatives
6

SOCIOECONOMICS
7

DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS
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TOWN EMPLOYMENT TRENDS
∆ 2005
DESCRIPTION 2003 2012 to 2012 TREND
TOTAL ALL JOBS 2,179 2,657 478 ↑
Mining, oil and gas extraction 0 12 12 ↑
Utilities 1 1 0 ↑
Construction 128 75 (53) ↓
Manufacturing 123 0 (123) ↓
Wholesale trade 161 43 (118) ↓
Retail trade 314 322 8 ↑
Transportation and warehousing 3 4 1 ↑
Information 50 43 (7) ↓
Finance & insurance 22 42 20 ↑
Real estate & rental & leasing 28 28 0 ↑
Professional, scientific & technical services 87 107 20 ↑
Management of companies & enterprises 45 48 3 ↑
Admin. & support, waste management 63 42 (21) ↓
Educational services 679 531 (148) ↓
Health care & social assistance 173 379 206 ↑
Arts, entertainment & recreation 9 36 27 ↑
Accomodation & food services 145 304 159 ↑
Other services 88 65 (23) ↓
Public Administration 60 575 515 ↑

COUNT Y EMPLOYMENT TRENDS
∆ 2005
DESCRIPTION 2003 2012 to 2012 TREND
TOTAL ALL JOBS 11,090 12,232 1,142 ↑
Utilities 3 7 4 ↑
Construction 984 1,022 38 ↑
Manufacturing 874 512 (362) ↓
Wholesale trade 808 759 (49) ↓
Retail trade 1,982 1,895 (87) ↓
Transportation and warehousing 150 252 102 ↑
Information 199 115 (84) ↓
Finance & insurance 172 274 102 ↑
Real estate & rental & leasing 173 140 (33) ↓
Professional, scientific & technical services 557 755 198 ↑
Management of companies & enterprises 90 60 (30) ↓
Admin. & support, waste management 329 504 175 ↑
Educational services 1,072 1,195 123 ↑
Health care & social assistance 646 1,025 379 ↑
Arts, entertainment & recreation 361 381 20 ↑
Accomodation & food services 1,519 2,066 547 ↑
Other services 591 653 62 ↑
Public Administration 580 617 37 ↑

ASSETS, CHALLENGES,
OPPORTUNITIES
11

ASSETS SUMMARY
 Available buildings and land that can readily accommodate a
variety of non-retail businesses.
 Local, regional, and state economic development resources.
 Excellent highway access to major markets, future rail access
(limited).
 Available utilities capacity: water, sewer, broadband.
 Excellent quality of life.
 Designated county growth area.
 CEDA

CHALLENGES SUMMARY
 Distance from major markets.
 Weak position in a regional tourism/visitation economy.
 Relative competitive disadvantage in office/flex market.
▪ Kent Island benefits from access and proximity to Annapolis.
 Visitor’s support infrastructure lacks lodging.
 Younger, white collar workforce is trending to urban areas.
▪ Queen Anne’s County’s 25-44 age group declined by 1,328 from
2000 to 2013 (12,291 – 10,963) .

CHALLENGES
AGE TRENDS 2000 - 2013
Queen Anne's County
47%
43%
39%
4%
0-14 15-24 25-44 45-64 65+
-11%

OPPORTUNITIES SUMMARY
 New county economic development regime
 Centreville just now getting into the “game”
 Creation of an economic development strategy
 Opportunity areas can be planned to facilitate economic
development
 Publicly owned real estate assets can be leveraged to fund
economic development initiatives
 Growth areas
▪ Can accommodate new, more diverse housing
▪ Can accommodate employment supporting uses

IMPLICATIONS
 Centreville is very desirable from a quality of life perspective
(for the 45-plus age demographic)
 The county recognizes the importance of Centreville’s
designation as a growth area for its future economic
development.
 Centreville needs to more fully access county ED resources to
assist in its efforts.
 Centreville must take a proactive approach to its economic
development.
 Centreville will need to differentiate itself to stand out from
the competition.

ASSETS, CHALLENGES,
OPPORTUNITIES
IN DETAIL
18

INFRASTRUCTURE
 Transportation and Access
▪ U.S. Route 301 – north/south national highway
▪ Maryland and Delaware Railroad (MDDE) terminates at 301/304
▪ Bay Bridge Airport (General Aviation)
 Water & Sewer
▪ Build-out within current boundaries may trigger need to expand
wastewater capacity
▪ County has deeded an acre at 301/304 for a water tower
 Broadband Service
▪ Fiber optic trunk line runs through Centreville
▪ Providers
▪ Cable modem (1)
▪ DSL (1)
▪ Satellite (2)

INFRASTRUCTURE – FIBER OPTIC

QUALIT Y OF LIFE - CRIME
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QUALIT Y OF LIFE – SCHOOLS
MEAN SAT SCORES
2014
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491
486
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Reading Math Writing
State of MD Queen Anne's County

QUALIT Y OF LIFE - HOUSING
 2012 median owner occupied home value:
▪ Centreville: $354,900
▪ County: $356,800
▪ State: $292,700
 2012 median rent:
▪ Centreville: $ 711
▪ County: $1,064
▪ State: $1,196
 Owner occupied: 75%
 Renter occupied: 25%

AMENITIES
 Pedestrian friendly historic downtown
 Wharf area

MARKET CONTEXT
Employment Supporting Space for Lease
Market Office SF Flex SF Industrial SF
Centreville 25,000 67,000 0
Stevensville 15,000 106,350 158,670
Easton 28,500 35,052 82,749
Annapolis 484,962 32,728 21,000
TOTAL 553,462 241,130 262,419

MARKET CONTEXT - CCRC
 Continuing Care Retirement Community
▪ RPRG 2014 study shows support for an assisted living facility at the
Centreville Business Park
 Aging population (Queen Anne’s, Kent, Talbot, Caroline
Counties)
Age Trends by County
Jurisdiction Age 2000 2013 Change % Change
65+ 5,175 7,596 2,421 47%
Queen Anne's
85+ 391 826 435 111%
65+ 3,692 4,499 807 22%
Kent
85+ 434 721 287 66%
65+ 6,917 9,328 2,411 35%
Talbot
85+ 850 1,216 366 43%
65+ 4,037 4,581 544 13%
Caroline
85+ 535 531 -4 -1%
65+ 19,821 26,004 6,183 31%
Total Region
85+ 2,210 3,294 1,084 49%

BUSINESS ATTRACTION & SUPPORT
ASSETS
 Near Term Opportunities
▪ Centreville Business Park
▪ 67,600 SF Flex
▪ 8,000 SF Office
▪ 50 acres developable land
▪ Coursevall Building
▪ 17,000 SF Office
▪ Downtown
▪ Pennsylvania Ave. Parcel
▪ FBI Annex
▪ Banjo Lane

BUSINESS ATTRACTION & SUPPORT
ASSETS
 Mid-Term Opportunity
▪ County Complex/YMCA Residual
Property
 Long-Term Opportunity
▪ US Rt. 301/MD Rt. 304 Interchange
Area
▪ Banjo Lane/Turpin Farm

RECOMMENDED
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
INITIATIVES
30

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
 Market and Promote the Centreville Business Park for a
Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) and related
aging-in-place services
▪ Utilize the RPRG study to help market and promote
▪ Identify prospects through associations and organizations
 Create a business development node through incubator
and/or co-work space
▪ Public/private partnership
▪ Tax incentives to landlord
▪ County ED funding for tenant fit-out
▪ Rent needs to be cheap!

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
Co-Work Space

OPPORTUNIT Y AREAS STRATEGIES
 Centreville Business Park & Coursevall Building
▪ Space needs to be aggressively marketed by town and county
▪ Possible location for co-work space

OPPORTUNIT Y AREA STRATEGIES
 Pennsylvania Avenue site
▪ Create a small area plan that is
supportable and reflects the Town’s vision
▪ Initiate a competitive developer
solicitation process
▪ It is crucial that town maintains as much
control over development as possible
throughout the process
 FBI Annex Building
▪ Town should negotiate a purchase or lease
to reactivate this building
 Banjo Lane/Turpin Farm
▪ Create a small area plan that supports
economic development goals and
objectives

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS
 Incentives should be discretionary and targeted
 Incentives should reflect the goals and objectives for a
specific opportunity area
▪ Main Street District: Retail & restaurants, professional
▪ Centreville Business Park : Professional, technical, health care, aging
in place services
▪ 301/304 Interchange: Logistics, Industrial
 Consider employment and earnings parameters
▪ Number of jobs
▪ Occupational characteristics
▪ Salaries & wages

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS
 Town incentives will draw from limited resources, and should be
considered a bargaining chip for negotiations to be offered when
appropriate
 Fiscal and economic impacts must both be considered
▪ Ratables – fiscal revenues
▪ Economic impacts – employment, earnings, spending in the local
economy
▪ RKG estimates daytime workers spend as much as $2,700 annually in the
local economy if the retail opportunities are available

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS
 Real Property Tax Abatements/Rebates
▪ Most effective for large investments
▪ $1 Million ÷ 100 x 0.38 = $ 3,800
▪ $10 Million ÷ 100 x 0.38 = $38,000
 Water and Sewer Allocation Fee Waivers
▪ Allocation fees total $13,744 per meter
 Regulatory Streamlining
▪ Designate a staff representative as a "concierge" to businesses who
are going through the permitting process.

TARGET INDUSTRIES
 Manufacturing
▪ Value added agricultural production
 Health Care
▪ Age-in-place services
 Logistics
▪ Capitalize on 301/304 area
▪ Capitalize on rail

ORGANIZATION AND COORDINATION
 Create an Economic Development Manager’s position
▪ Part-time, contractual.
▪ Separate and distinct from Main Street Manager.
▪ Work should be performed under the direction of the Town Manager
and Town Council and reviewed by CEDA through conferences,
reports, and observation of progress.
▪ Economic Development and Main Street should be combined as a
single agency to more efficiently utilize resources

ORGANIZATION AND COORDINATION
 Economic Development Manager Responsibilities
▪ Liaison between the Town government, CEDA, and the County Economic
Development Office
▪ Coordinate and execute the Town’s economic development initiatives;
manage contracted vendors for special projects.
▪ Provide Centreville leadership in the area of economic development with
active service on boards, committees and working groups of local
economic development organizations
▪ Establish and maintain professional relationships with strategic
implementation partners
▪ Work with the Town and CEDA to formulate and administer business
incentives and retention strategies
▪ Serve as an ombudsman to represent the Town’s economic development
interests and to facilitate the permitting process for targeted projects.
▪ Maintain an up to date inventory of available office and flex space

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES
 Queen Anne’s County Office of Economic Development
 Centreville Economic Development Authority
 Centreville Main Street Program
 Chesapeake College Small Business Development Center
 County Economic Development Fund Commission
 Upper Shore SCORE
 Eastern Sore Entrepreneurship Center
 Maryland Capital Enterprises
 Upper Shore Regional Council CEDS
 MD Department of Business & Economic Development
 USDA Rural Fund

DISCUSSION
42

Centreville
Economic
Development
Authority
(CEDA)

Background
Created in 2013 by Town Ordinance 09 2013 amending Chapter 20, Article
5 of the Town Charter
“To impact the quality of life and economic health of the Town of Centreville
as it is directly linked to the viability of the commercial sector with the
associated tax base and to act in an advisory capacity to the Town Council”
CEDA does not maintain a budget / has no decision making authority on
behalf of town
Works in conjunction with Town’s Economic Development Manager to
advise the Town Council on economic development matters that impact the
health of the community.

CEDA Board – Chapter 20-23
The CEDA is to be structured as follows:
The Board of Directors (Board) will be composed of seven members, and one non-voting ex
officio member, to be appointed by the Town Council, with a three-year term to be served on a
rotating basis. With the exception of the Board's initial Chair which is to be directly appointed by
the Town Council, officers are to be elected by the Board and from the membership of the
Board at the Board's first meeting after the start of the Town's fiscal year. The Board will consist
of the following seven representatives and one nonvoting ex officio member:
◦ One Main Street Manager or appropriate Town staff representative shall be the nonvoting ex officio
member;
◦ One representative from the real estate sector;
◦ One representative from the Queen Anne's County Arts Council;
◦ Three resident citizens with experience and interest in economic development;
◦ Two brick and mortar business owners that may not necessarily reside within the Town limits;
Failure of members to attend meetings. Whenever a member of the Board shall fail to attend
three or more regular meetings in a given calendar year, the Chairman shall advise the Town
Council, which may remove the member and appoint the respective alternate to fill that position
on a permanent basis or appoint a new member to fill the vacancy at its discretion.
Town staff shall provide clerical and financial management support to the CEDA, until which
time the entity is self-funded or has the capacity to carry such costs independently.

CEDA Meetings
CEDA meets formally every month on a regular date and time TBD. These
meetings include status updates from the Economic Development Manager,
Main Street Manager, and are typically attended by at least one Council
Member and a representative of the QA County Economic Development and
Tourism Department.
CEDA plans to host working sessions which are more of an informal
discussion and brainstorming session and may be virtual (Zoom).

DOW N TOW N CENT R EVILLE
T R A NS FOR MAT I ON ST R AT EGI ES FOR A
ST RONGE R MA I N ST R E E T DI ST R I C T
Report to the Centreville Town Council
Centreville Main Street | Main Street America | Lisa M. Thompson, Senior Program Officer

The People Behind This Work
Centreville Main Street Steering Committee
Anthony T. Puglisi
With gratitude
Christy Puglisi
Carol D’Agostino
William Chesshire
Centreville Main Street Manager
Bryon Johnston
Carol launched and carried this process: the
survey, the focus groups, the strategy visit, and
Jennifer Moore
work planning. The strategies presented tonight
are built on the foundation of her work and her
years of service to downtown Centreville.
Volunteers who gave evenings and workdays to surveys, focus groups, and the
strategy workshop.

How We Got Here
A community-driven process, facilitated by Main Street America, March 2026
Market + Visitation
Community Survey Focus Groups Strategy Workshop
Data
463 responses on what Business owners, property
Esri demographics and retail Steering committee selected
residents value, what's missing, owners, Town and County
demand; Placer.ai analysis of two Transformation Strategies
and what would bring them partners, and community
453,700 district visits in 2025 to guide the next 3–5 years
downtown organizations

What the Community Told Us
463 survey responses, early 2026
What people love Top issues
“Quaint. Historic. Small. Walkable.
66%
Not enough businesses and destinations
Charming. Community.” suited to me
62%
The courthouse square, the library, and beloved local
Too many vacant storefronts and lots
businesses anchor daily life.
82% expect to be here in five years. 74% feel
48%
Buildings neglected or needing
welcome downtown.
rehabilitation

Committed, But Underserved
The single most important finding in the survey
82% 74% 64%
expect to still be part of the agree they feel welcome in would NOT recommend downtown
community in five years Downtown Centreville to a friend as a place to visit
Residents are not leaving, and they are not unhappy with Centreville. They simply cannot yet point a
friend toward enough to see, do, and buy downtown. The people are here and staying; the storefronts
have not caught up with them. That gap is what the Transformation Strategies close.

The Market Is Here
Esri demographic and retail demand analysis, 5/15/25-minute drive times
median household income within
$119,333 48,417 residents within a 25-minute drive
5 minutes; rising to ~$130K by
of the courthouse square
2030
projected annual growth in food share of area jobs in services,
+$8.6M 13–16%
spending in the 15-minute trade confirming the thin dining and
area by 2030 retail layer
Bottom line: an affluent, family-oriented, and growing trade area whose lifestyle segments prize community,
familiarity, and destination-worthy experiences.

People Are Already Downtown
Placer.ai location data, Main Street district, Jan–Dec 2025
453,700 105,400 79 min
district visits in 2025, up 23% vs. 2023 unique visitors, averaging 4.3 visits each average time spent per visit
The timing mismatch
Visits peak on weekdays around court and county business and fall to their lowest on Saturday and Sunday, exactly when
residents say they most want to visit (Friday evenings and Saturdays).
The leakage story
More than half of the district’s own visitors also shop routinely at Kent Towne Market, Waterside Village in Easton, and the
Queenstown outlets. The spending power is here; much of it is being spent 12–18 miles away.

The Opportunity
Centreville does not need to create activity.
It needs to capture, connect, and expand
the activity it already has.
Capture Connect Expand
Convert daily county-seat traffic and 79- Make it easy to find businesses, parking, side Fill vacant buildings and upper floors with the
minute visits into storefront spending streets, and the waterfront businesses residents asked for

Strategy 1: Build the Foundation
Year One | A strong, coordinated Main Street program
A committed, working board with Four Point committees and clear
decision-making
A written roles and coordination framework with CEDA, the Town, and
the County
Why it comes first
A funding strategy aligned with priorities, including state Main Street
grants
Stakeholders told us roles among Main
Street, CEDA, the Town, and the County are
A public annual work plan with consistent reporting and accountability
unclear. Lasting revitalization needs an
organization structured to lead it, and
funding balanced across events, operations,
and development.
Early visible wins: signage, storefront refreshes, and a downtown map
and directory

Strategy 2: Capture and Grow Downtown Activity
Years Two through Five | Two goals
Goal 1: Activate Spaces + Expand Business Goal 2: Improve Visibility, Access + the
Opportunities Experience
• Wayfinding and signage to parking, side streets, and
• Fill vacant buildings and upper floors through reuse, key destinations, plus Routes 301/213
redevelopment, and pop-ups • Address one-way circulation and the sense of
• Recruit what residents asked for: casual dining, arts arrival
and culture, boutiques, coffee, family entertainment • Connect the courthouse, waterfront, and
• Connect property owners with tenants, tools, and businesses; safe walking and biking links to
financing neighborhoods
• Encourage second-floor housing and mixed use • Coordinated evening and Saturday hours, backed by
programming

How We Will Measure Success
Three-to-five-year outcomes adopted with the strategies
3–5 25–40% 2–3
net new businesses opened downtown, reduction in vacant storefronts from a upper-floor or mixed-use projects initiated
focused on retail, dining, and experiences 2026 baseline or completed
1 50%+ ↑ increase
comprehensive wayfinding system of businesses in coordinated hours, pedestrian activity and sales on side
installed across the district especially evenings and Saturdays streets, tracked annually
Progress will be reported to the board, the Council, and the public on a regular schedule.

Next Steps
Steering committee, next 90 days Where Town Council partnership matters
• Support signage and wayfinding placement, and joint
• Finalize and adopt the FY26 work plan with leads,
outreach to the State Highway Administration on Routes
timelines, and budgets
301 and 213
• Complete the business inventory and the
• Partner on evaluating rehabilitation incentives
vacant/underutilized property index (the vacancy baseline)
comparable to neighboring communities
• Deliver first visible wins: temporary wayfinding signage
• A welcoming, predictable path for new business and
and the downtown map and directory
property investment
• Formalize roles with CEDA, the Town, and the County, and
• Continued investment in the Main Street program as it
set the reporting rhythm
builds its foundation year
Thank you | Questions?

Thank you!
Lisa M Thompson MSARP, HREFDP
Senior Program Officer
National Main Street Center
53 West Jackson Blvd. Suite 350
Chicago, IL 60604
mainstreet.org