Centreville Economic Development Plan

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September 2015
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Town of Centreville, Maryland
Prepared by:
RKG Associates, Inc.
Economic, Planning and Real Estate Consultants
300 Montgomery Street, Suite 203
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Tel: 703.739.0965
www.rkgassociates.com

Economic Development Plan
Town of Centreville, Maryland
September 2015
Prepared For:
Town of Centreville
Katherine Magruder
Centreville Economic Development Authority
101 Lawyers Row
Centreville, Maryland
Tel: (410) 758-1180
Prepared By:
RKG Associates, Inc.
Economic, Planning and Real Estate Consultants
300 Montgomery Street, Suite 203
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Tel: 703.739.0965
www.rkgassociates.com

Centreville Economic Development Plan
Centreville, Maryland September 2015
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Centreville Economic Development Plan was prepared at the direction of the Centreville Town
Council with the support of the Maryland Department of Commerce, the Queen Anne's County
Commissioners.
RKG Associates, Inc. (RKG) would like to extend appreciation to all of the Town’s stakeholders who
participated on this important project, and the Centreville Economic Development Authority Board for
their oversight and guidance.
Centreville Economic Development Authority Board Members
I. Katherine Magruder, Chair
Angela Price
Davis C. Emory, Emory Properties, LLC
Chris Dollar, Centreville Outdoors
Chrissy Aull, Wye River Upper School
Carol D’Agostino, Centreville Main Street Manager
Barry F. Griffith, Lane Engineering, LLC
John J. Cvach, Cvach Financial Services, PA
Michael Cogan
Support Staff
Steve Walls, Town Manager
Carolyn Brinkley, Town Clerk

Table of Contents
Chapter 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A. Socioeconomic Analysis ............................................................................................................ 3-1
B. Assets, Challenges and Opportunities ................................................................................. 3-1
C. Implementation Plan ................................................................................................................. 3-3
Chapter 3 SOCIOECONOMIC ANALYSIS
A. Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3-1
B. Demographic Trends ............................................................................................................... 3-1
C. Economic Base Analysis ............................................................................................................ 3-4
D. Implications .............................................................................................................................. 3-10
Chapter 4 ASSETS, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
A. Business Attraction and Support Assets ................................................................................ 4-1
B. Infrastructure .......................................................................................................................... 4-4
C. Workforce Characteristics ....................................................................................................... 4-7
D. Quality of Life ........................................................................................................................... 4-9
E. Amenities .................................................................................................................................. 4-11
F. Capacity to Grow .................................................................................................................. 4-11
G. Market Context ...................................................................................................................... 4-14
H. Summary of Assets, Challenges and Opportunities ........................................................ 4-15
Chapter 5 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
A. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 5-1
B. Economic Development Initiatives ........................................................................................... 5-1
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Economic Development Plan
Centreville, Maryland September 2015
1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A. SOCIOECONOMIC ANALYSIS
• Centreville and Queen Anne’s County have experienced steady population and household growth
at a rate that is higher than the State of Maryland since 2000.
• Centreville has a higher proportion of juvenile age population (0-14) and retirement age
population (65+) than the state, but lower proportions of 15 to 44 year olds. This trend would
support local child related and age in place services.
• Queen Anne’s County has seen the 25 to 44 age group decline by 11% from 2000 to 2013. This
age cohort is gravitating to more urban areas with greater job opportunities and a diverse mix of
housing opportunities.
• Centreville’s residents are highly educated, which is attractive to industries requiring highly skilled
workers.
• Overall, non-farm employment grew in the County by 1142 jobs, from 11,090 in 2003 to 12,232
in 2012, an increase of 10%. By contrast, employment in the State of Maryland grew 1.4% in the
same period.
• Growth sectors include Health Care, Accommodations and Food Services, Construction,
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services; Transportation and Warehousing; Finance and
Insurance; and, Administration, and Public Administration (government). The most significant decline
in employment occurred in manufacturing.
• Recent declines in the County’s workforce could present challenges for attracting business in the
future if the trend is not reversed or stabilized.
• The manufacturing sector lost over 300 jobs from 2003 to 2012, and now employs just over 500.
Efforts to bolster this sector will be an important component of an economic development strategy,
and will be most effective if undertaken in partnership local, regional, and state agencies and
organizations.
• From a socioeconomic standpoint, there are several advantages to Centreville that can be
marketed to potential employers. First, Centreville can draw from a highly educated workforce
that resides in the Town and the County, many who presently commute to jobs on the Western
Shore. Second, the population is growing at a faster rate than the State, indicating a steadily
increasing demand for goods and services. Third, the age cohort with the greatest amount of
resources to purchase goods and services, the 45 and over group, is steadily growing.
B. ASSETS, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
• Centreville enjoys substantial and diverse real estate assets targeted to employment supporting
uses in various stages of development. These include:
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Centreville Business Park – 100 acres with a 67,000-square-foot vacant flex building,
o
available office space, and 50 undeveloped land.
Coursevall Building – 17,000 square feet of Class A space available for lease.
o
Two notable economic development opportunity sites were identified in the course of the
o
analysis of Downtown Centreville: the publicly-owned land on the east side of Pennsylvania
Avenue; and, the FBI Annex building attached to the Post Office. Both of these sites are
discussed in greater detail in the next section of this report.
• The County may seek to dispose of excess land fronting Route 304 to the private sector as
development of the County Complex moves forward. This will present the potential for
commercial development through rezoning that could benefit from the presence of both the
County complex and the YMCA.
• The 2009 Centreville Community Plan (Plan) shows a pattern of future annexation from the Town’s
eastern limit along MD Rt. 304 extending east to U.S. Rt. 301. The 301/304 interchange area is
currently zoned Suburban Industrial, and is shown on the Plan as a County Planned Business Park.
This area has the potential for development of logistics and manufacturing uses.
• Transportation and access assets include excellent highway access to U.S. 301 to points north and
U.S. 50 to points west and south. Centreville is served by the Maryland and Delaware Railroad
(MDRR), which ties into the Norfolk Southern system in New Castle County, Delaware, which serves
the Port of Wilmington to the north and the Hampton Roads, Virginia area to the south.
• An assessment of Centreville’s current build-out capacity suggests that sewer capacity will be
adequate to serve pipeline development in the near- to mid-term. With regard to water, the
County has deeded an acre to the Town near the 301/304 interchange for a future water tower.
• Residents and businesses in Centreville have good broadband availability and a number of
service providers to choose from, depending on their needs.
• The Upper Shore WIA, which includes Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot
Counties has a diverse workforce comprised of 18% blue collar and 82% white collar workers.
The high proportion of out-commuters indicates that potential exists to capture additional jobs that
are “leaking” from the local economic base.
• Queen Anne’s County has a low crime rate, excellent access to health care facilities for its
residents and workers, and highly rated public schools. These are key considerations of executive
decisions to locate and/or expand to a jurisdiction.
• Homeownership housing costs are high in Centreville compared to the state, but rents are low.
Centreville has about 370 units for rent. As the Town of Centreville annexes designated Growth
Areas in the future, consideration should be given to the provision of multi-family development to
provide more diverse housing opportunities than now exist.
• Centreville’s historic, pedestrian friendly downtown and its Wharf Area are two key quality of
life amenities it has to offer. The Town is also within a designated Heritage Area and located on a
National Scenic Highway Route.
• Centreville is one of six designated growth sub-areas in Queen Anne’s County, where
development is encouraged to concentrate in order to conserve rural and environmentally
sensitive areas. The Centreville Community Plan makes provisions for Growth Areas around
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Centreville to absorb future development and facilitate annexation into the Town for contiguous
development wishing to take advantage of an extension of utilities.
• The local and regional market for office and flex space is very competitive, with excess
inventory in Annapolis, Kent Island, and Easton.
• A recent study prepared by Real Property Research Group (RPRG) found that Centreville could
comfortably support the development of a private pay assisted living community of between 30
and 40 units, and that the site is a suitable location for that type of product. Follow up analysis
conducted as part of this plan reinforces those findings.
• Summary of Assets
Available buildings and land that can readily accommodate a variety of non-retail businesses.
o
Local, regional, and state economic development resources.
o
Excellent highway access to major markets, future rail access (limited).
o
Available utilities capacity: water, sewer, broadband.
o
Excellent quality of life.
o
Designated county growth area.
o
Centreville Economic Development Authority.
o
Designated Main Street.
o
Town is within a designated Heritage Area and located on a National Scenic Highway Route.
o
• Summary of Challenges
Distance from major markets.
o
Weak position in a regional tourism/visitation economy.
o
Relative competitive disadvantage in office/flex market.
o
Visitor’s support infrastructure lacks lodging.
o
Younger, white collar workforce is trending to urban areas.
o
• Summary of Opportunities
New county economic development regime.
o
Commitments to proactive economic development efforts on the part of Town and County.
o
Economic development plan.
o
Opportunity areas that can be planned to facilitate economic development.
o
Publicly owned real estate assets that can be leveraged to fund economic development
o
initiatives.
Provisions for new growth areas in Centreville Community Plan.
o
C. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
• For a community the size and scale of Centreville, an effective implementation plan will require
substantial resources and technical expertise to execute. It is recommended therefore that Queen
Anne’s County Department of Economic Development should serve as the Town’s lead
implementation entity to carry out initiatives and activities associated with economic development
in the Town of Centreville.
• In the future, the Town may reach a consensus that the dedicated efforts of a business
development professional on a part-time basis may be appropriate to assist and enhance
QACDED efforts on behalf of the Town.
• The Centreville Business Park should be marketed and promoted for an Assisted Living Facility or
Continuing Care Retirement Community.
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• Centreville should proactively improve its position in the local business environment through actions
that differentiate it from the competition for office and flex tenants in Kent Island and Easton. This
can be accomplished through a public or public/private initiative to create and operate a
business incubator and/or co-work space, which is a shared working space accommodating
independent activity.
• The Centreville Business Park and the Coursevall Building should be aggressively marketed to
non-retail businesses to build and maintain a diverse economic base in Centreville.
• The Town should create a development strategy for its Pennsylvania Avenue site that includes a
small area plan and an evaluation of the potential for various land uses on the site before it
moves forward with any developer solicitation activities. Proceeds from the eventual sale of the
property could potentially be directed into an economic development incentive fund, similar to
how the county seeded their own economic development incentive fund.
• The Town should continue with its efforts to procure or enter a long term lease on the Federal
Building adjacent to the Post Office. By controlling this key property, the Town can gain an
important economic development asset that it can use to leverage economic development
initiatives.
• The probability exists that the County will seek to dispose of excess road frontage property that
will come available during or after the development of its new complex on Ruthsburg Road (MD
Rt. 304). In order to plot the course of future development and otherwise exert some control over
how the property is developed in the future, the Town should draft the zoning of the property in
advance of any public/private transfers.
• The Town should encourage the County to initiate the preparation of a Master Plan for the U.S.
Rt. 301/ MD Rt. 304 Interchange Area that emphasizes the development of employment
supporting uses. The area’s transportation assets make it particularly suited for logistics operations,
given the presence of a major U.S. highway and rail access.
• The Town should encourage the County to initiate the preparation of a Master Plan for the U.S.
Rt. 301/ MD Rt. 213 Interchange Area that emphasizes the development of a highway oriented
commercial growth area, combining commercial uses with a greenbelt buffer to create an
attractive gateway that beckons passersby to stop and linger in Centreville. Due to their relative
accessibility, highway interchanges are natural environments for land uses such as lodging,
convenience retail, and food & beverage establishments.
• The Town should review zoning for the aforementioned opportunity areas to determine if it is
compatible with the future vision for the sites or whether a rezoning may be warranted when
appropriate.
• It is recommended that the Town continue with updating its assessment of sewer capacity
projections based on current development projects in the planning pipeline, and include
reasonable development scenarios for undeveloped tracts such as the Pennsylvania Avenue
property and the Turpin Farm. In addition, a build-out scenario for the undeveloped acreage in
the Centreville Business Park that includes a 45-unit Continuing Care Facility should be factored in.
• Specific focus should be directed to attracting and retaining businesses in the manufacturing,
health care (including aging-in-place care) and logistics (at the 301/304 interchange area)
sectors.
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• To the extent possible and where applicable, the Town should seek to piggy-back onto the
County’s real property tax credit incentive program. To be eligible for the tax credit, a business
must make significant real property improvements to a nonresidential structure that, when
completed, increases the full fair market value of a property, as determined by the Department of
Assessments and Taxation by at least $25,000. The business must establish to the satisfaction of
the Department of Economic Development that it will create a minimum of 12 new full-time
positions within 36 months of completion of construction.
• The town could, at its discretion, waive its sewer and water allocation fees in order to incentivize
the development of desirable, employment supporting land uses. It is likely that the Town would
actually reimburse the Public Works enterprise fund in the event these fees are waived, so the
fiscal and economic benefits of a new business enterprise would have to be weighed against the
municipal costs on a case by case basis to determine eligibility. An alternative to a fee waiver is
an option to pay the fee in installments over a period of years, effectively easing front loaded
capital costs for the investor.
• The Town should adopt a streamlined development review processes for high impact, targeted
industries that are relocating or expanding in their jurisdictions. The Town can assign a staff
representative as a "concierge" to businesses who are going through the permitting process.
• Business incentive candidates should be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Dollar value of proposed real property improvements;
o
Sustainability of business (business history, longevity, etc.);
o
Project adheres to overarching economic development objectives for a specific area.
o
• As Centreville’s economic development effort gains inertia and begins to yield tangible results,
three key metrics can be tracked in order to evaluate progress:
Increased occupancies in office, retail and industrial space;
o
Jobs attracted/created/supported; and,
o
Capital investment.
o
• CEDA has formally committed to undertake the following concurrent and sequential activities:
Continue to track implementation efforts and call out measures of success and accountability;
o
Conduct periodic reviews of real estate regulations and regulations regarding the formation
o
and conduct of businesses to identify, and otherwise mitigate, unnecessary impediments to
business development. This should include the review and evaluation of relevant external
regulations in collaboration with County and State economic development agencies;
Address how regulatory streamlining water and sewer allocation fee waivers can be most
o
effectively implemented to attract desirable businesses;
Maintain a proactive approach to plan for future water/ sewer capacity, particularly as
o
critical masses of new development are brought on line;
Inventory available business supporting building space and development ready land;
o
Clarify and build consensus for intended land uses at the and U.S. Rt. 301/MD Rt. 304 and
o
U.S. Rt. 301/MD Rt. 213 interchange and corridor areas to guide future master planning;
Recommend pursuing school and workforce development training academy operations;
o
Create and maintain a pride of place and build community buy-in for economic development
o
and downtown revitalization initiatives;
Call for creation of a comprehensive Town-wide marketing plan and brand identity;
o
Encourage and support more improvements to Downtown properties;
o
Develop and promote façade improvement tax incentives;
o
Utilize more stringent code enforcement to proactively address blighted properties;
o
Recommend low cost and near term financial and non-financial incentives to improve visual
o
appeal;
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Explore and support the development of tourism experiences that capitalize on existing
o
tourism and visitation on the Eastern Shore and the Town’s cultural and natural assets.
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2
INTRODUCTION
In 2014 members of the Centreville Town Council, recognizing the opportunity for beneficial outcomes
that might arise from facilitating economic development and expanding the commercial tax base for
the town, passed an ordinance to empower a Centreville Economic Development Authority (CEDA) to
analyze the situation and develop strategies to guide related growth by choice instead of by chance.
As a result, this plan has been created to frame a strategy for future economic development that may
occur in and around the Town of Centreville. Basing the planning process on a certain vision for
eventual outcomes resulting from the plan, the CEDA offers the following statement:
“While retaining small town character and historic significance, Centreville Maryland will become a
hub of economic activity within Queen Anne’s County for citizens of any race, creed, culture or
economic background. Centreville will develop a vibrant town center core and work to become a
community that supports local businesses.”
“Centreville will encourage business retention and attract new business development in appropriate
locations, while working to increase available services and amenities to support its existing and future
residential population, with the intent to develop continuing care and age in place services as a
specific focus of effort.”
“With careful stewardship of cultural and natural resources Centreville will manage a planned effort
to increase tourism, host and promote events as well as outdoor recreation activities in and around the
town, and provide an array of activities that foster an enjoyable quality of life.”
The following Economic Development Plan is prepared on behalf of the Town of Centreville for the
CEDA, the official body tasked with advancing business development and job creation in and around
the Town. The plan includes an assessment of local and regional socioeconomic characteristics; the
Town’s physical infrastructure, utilities and resources; and the workforce skills available in association
with the Town. The plan also assesses Centreville’s competitive position for business attraction in a
regional context, and analyzes the potential opportunities and challenges to successful economic
development.
RKG Associates, Inc. was selected through a competitive bidding process to assist Centreville in crafting
the economic development plan. In the course of the work program, RKG professionals reviewed
relevant plans and documents, and interacted with key stakeholders including CEDA members,
municipal staff, local real estate professionals and developers, business leaders, economic
development practitioners, and others. Stakeholder input provided local context for analyzing other
key aspects of Centreville’s economic environment, including industry trends and land use dynamics.
The findings of the work program informed the synthesis of an implementation plan that comprises
short-, medium,- and long-term initiatives that will enable the Town and County to take immediate
action on certain tasks as well as take initial steps in the planning for long-term projects. The resulting
plan for economic development details the opportunities and corresponding actions that will maximize
Centreville’s ability to leverage its resources while positioning itself to improve efficiency and
effectiveness. The findings and recommendations of the Centreville Economic Development Plan are
organized in this report in the following sections:
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The report includes the following chapters:
 Chapter 1 – Executive Summary
 Chapter 2 – Introduction
 Chapter 3 – Socioeconomic Analysis
 Chapter 4 – Assets, Challenges & Opportunities
 Chapter 5 – Implementation Plan
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3
SOCIOECONOMIC ANALYSIS
A. INTRODUCTION
The following chapter analyzes demographic trends and projections in areas such as population,
households, income, education attainment, and employment data. The analysis focuses on trends and
conditions within the Town of Centreville, but includes comparative data for Queen Anne’s County and
the surrounding region where appropriate. The data presented in this section provides insight into local
and regional growth trends as well as projected future growth patterns. These factors provide the
framework for understanding the economic activity in the Town. The consultant utilized several public
and private data sources to complete the analysis including the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics, ESRI (Site to Do Business)1, the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and
Regulation, and the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development.
Population, household, and income trend data provided by ESRI includes decennial data from the U.S.
Census Bureau summarized for users in the real estate industry. ESRI incorporates projection data
developed by their proprietary approach.
B. DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS
1. Population and Household Trends and Projections
Information from the U.S. Census indicates
Figure 3-1
that Centreville experienced a surge of
population growth from 2000 to 2010,
ANNUAL POPULATION GROWTH
from 2,340 persons to 4,285 persons.
2000 -2019
This occurred largely through the
annexation of the North Brook 10.0%
development, which consists of 430 homes,
and Symphony Village, which is an age- 8.0%
restricted community comprising 390
homes. This resulted in an average annual 6.0%
population growth rate of 8.3% in the
decade. From 2010 to 2014, the growth 4.0%
rate slowed to an annual average of
2.7%, and is projected at 1.5% in the 2.0%
next five years.
0.0%
For comparison, Queen Anne’s County’s 2000-2010 2010-2014 2014-2019
population grew at an annual average
Centreville Queen Anne's County State of MD
rate of 1.8% from 2000 to 2010 and
1.6% from 2010 to 2014, and the State’s
Source: ESRI and RKG Associates, Inc., 2015
population grew at an annual average
rate of 0.9% from 2000 to 2010 and
0.2% from 2010 to 2014 (Figure 3-1).
1 ESRI is an internationally renowned data vendor of socioeconomic and market data.
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Household growth trends typically parallel population trends. household growth in Centreville was
slightly less than population growth at 7.1% from 2000 to 2010. The household growth rate in
Centreville was the same as population from 2010 to 2014 at 2.7%.
3. Population by Age
Compared to the state, Centreville has a Figure 3-2
high proportion of juvenile (age 0-14) and
retirement age (65+) populations. The AGE DISTRIBUTION
working age populations (25-44 and 45- 2014
64) are of a lower proportion than the
30.0%
state (Figure 3-2)).
25.0%
When analyzing population trends by age,
more relevant patterns of aging are 20.0%
discernible on a county level, particularly
15.0%
with regard to local workforce. A closer
examination of age trends show that the
10.0%
young, working age population (25-44)
actually decreased in Queen Anne’s County 5.0%
from 2000 to 2013, from 12,291 to
10,963. This may reflect a trend towards 0.0%
urban living in this age cohort, as well as a 0-14 15-24 25-44 45-64 65+
lack of housing choice in the County itself,
Centreville State of Maryland
where the 2012 median owner-occupied
home value was $356,800.
Source: ESRI and RKG Associates, Inc., 2015
The 45 to 64 age cohort grew 39% from Figure 3-3
2000 to 2013, and addied more
AGE TRENDS 2000 - 2013
population than other groups, expanding
Queen Anne's County
by 4,164, from 10,522 in 2000 to 14,716
in 2013. Another key demographic trend in 47%
Centreville, the County, and the 43%
39%
surrounding region is the steady increase in
the 65-plus age cohort, which grew from
5,175 in 2000 to 7,596 in 2013, an
increase of 47% (Figure 3-3).
An examination of aging trends in Kent,
Talbot and Caroline Counties showed
4%
similar trends to Queen Anne’s, indicating
that the Eastern Shore is a popular
retirement destination and that residents 0-14 15-24 25-44 45-64 65+
are content to age in place. The relatively
high proportions of juvenile and retirement -11%
age populations support demand for age
in place and child-directed service
Source: ESRI and RKG Associates, Inc., 2015
businesses.
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4. Household Income
Figure 3-4
Centreville’s median family income is
HH INCOME AS A % OF HOUSEHOLDS
relatively high as compared to the
2014
County and State. At $90,312, it is
above Queen Anne’s County at $87,871
and the State of Maryland at $73,534. Over $150K
Queen Anne’s County has the highest $100K to $149K
median household income within the
Upper Shore Area which includes: Talbot
$50K to $99K
County ($61,597); Caroline County
($58,632); and, Kent County ($56,259).
$25K to $49K
If also edges out Anne Arundel County at
$87,430. The County’s relative prosperity
Under $25K
is due in large measure to its resident’s
relative proximity to high paying jobs in
0.0% 20.0% 40.0%
the Washington, D.C and Baltimore metro
areas. The high proportion of prime Centreville Queen Anne's State
wage earners in the 45 to 64 age group
also contributes to the area’s prosperity, Source: ESRI and RKG Associates, Inc., 2015
along with retirees (Figure 3-4).
5. Education Attainment
The education attainment of Centreville’s Figure 3-5
labor force is a significant factor in
POST SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL
supporting efforts to expand economic
ACHIEVEMENT
development and attract new employers.
2013
Figure 3-5 illustrates the educational
attainment levels of the population 25
30%
years and older for the Town, County
and State. Centreville’s residents have 25%
higher proportions of bachelor’s (25%)
20%
and graduate (18%) degrees than both
Queen Anne’s County and the State of 15%
Maryland. The County has a slightlty
10%
higher proportion of bachelor’s degrees
(21%) than the State (20%), but a lower
5%
propotion of graduate degrees (13%)
than the State (16%). This finding is a 0%
positive, when considering expanding Centreville Queen Anne's State
economic development recruitment for
Bachelors Degree Graduate Degree
industries requiring highly skilled
workers.
Source: ESRI and RKG Associates, 2015
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C. ECONOMIC BASE ANALYSIS
The economic base analysis examines changes in the labor force and business characteristics of
Centreville and also provides comparisons to the region in an effort to understand and frame the
economic opportunities for the Town. This analysis includes data on employment, major employers,
labor force and unemployment trends, occupational skills and commuting patterns, which will help to
establish a context for evaluating the local and regional development potential.
1. Employment Trends
At-place employment measures the number of workers within a specific geography, without regard to
place of residence. The most recent industry trends data is available for Queen Anne’s County from
the U.S. Census’ Longitudinal Employment-Household Dynamics database. Table 3-1 presents
employment by sector data for the County between 2004 and 2013. The data is categorized based
on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) which facilitates comparison over time
and geographic location. Major industry sectors are identified by the two-digit NAICS code.
Overall, non-farm employment grew in the County by 1,142 jobs, from 11,090 in 2003 to 12,232 in
2012, an increase of 10%. By contrast, employment in the State of Maryland grew 1.4% in the same
period. Accommodations and Food Services employed 2,066 in 2012, reflecting an increase in
employment of 36% from 2003. In a county which attracts a considerable number of tourists and
visitors from steadily growing metropolitan areas to the west and north, retail, hotel and restaurant
sectors should remain strong. In 2012, the Retail Trade sector accounted for the second highest number
of private sector workers with 1,895, but declined by 4% from 2003.
Education is the County’s third largest industry sector, employing 1,195. Construction was the County’s
fourth largest private industry sector at 1,030 employees, defying the national trend of decline in this
sector by adding 38 workers since 2003. The Health Care sector has seen consistent growth
nationwide, and grew from 646 workers in 2003 to 1,025 workers in 2012, owing in large part to the
expanding University of Maryland Shore Regional Health.
Other sectors showing improvement include: Professional, Scientific and Technical Services;
Transportation and Warehousing; Finance and Insurance; and, Administration. Public Administration
(government) employment grew from 580 in 2003 to 617 in 2012. The Manufacturing sector lost the
most jobs from 2003 to 2012, declining from 874 to 512.
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Table 3-1
At-Place Employment by Industry 2003-2012 Trends
Queen Anne's County
∆ 2005
NAICS* DESCRIPTION 2003 2012 to 2012 TREND
TOTAL ALL JOBS 11,090 12,232 1,142 ↑
22 Utilities 3 7 4 ↑
23 Construction 984 1,022 38 ↑
31-32 Manufacturing 874 512 (362) ↓
42 Wholesale trade 808 759 (49) ↓
44-45 Retail trade 1,982 1,895 (87) ↓
48-49 Transportation and warehousing 150 252 102 ↑
51 Information 199 115 (84) ↓
52 Finance & insurance 172 274 102 ↑
53 Real estate & rental & leasing 173 140 (33) ↓
54 Professional, scientific & technical services 557 755 198 ↑
55 Management of companies & enterprises 90 60 (30) ↓
56 Admin. & support, waste management 329 504 175 ↑
61 Educational services 1,072 1,195 123 ↑
62 Health care & social assistance 646 1,025 379 ↑
71 Arts, entertainment & recreation 361 381 20 ↑
72 Accomodation & food services 1,519 2,066 547 ↑
81 Other services 591 653 62 ↑
92 Public Administration 580 617 37 ↑
1North American Industry Classification System Code
Source: US Census Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics; RKG Associates
2. Centreville Business Summary
Table 3-2 lists Centreville’s employment sectors by number of businesses and employees, as estimated
for 2014. The largest single sector is Public Administration with 744 employees among 32 agencies.
Health Care employed 335 in 37 businesses, Professional, Scientific and Technical services employed
247 in 80 businesses, and Construction employed 236 in 24 businesses. Indented sub-sectors fall within
the major industry sector counts.
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Table 3-2
At-Place Employment by Industry 2014
Town of Centreville
Industry Sector Businesses Employees
Agriculture, forestry, fishing & hunting 5 12
Mining, oil and gas extraction 0 0
Utilities 2 120
Construction 24 236
Manufacturing 5 10
Wholesale trade 10 49
Retail trade 27 106
Motor vehicle & parts dealers 2 8
Furniture and home furnishing stores 1 2
Electronics & appliance stores 2 4
Bldg material, garden equip & supplies 2 14
Food & beverage stores 2 27
Health & personal care stores 4 9
Gasoline stations 2 7
Apparel & accessories stores 2 10
Sport goods, hobby, books & music 2 2
General merchandise stores 0 0
Miscellaneous retailers 5 7
Nonstore retailers 3 16
Transportation and warehousing 8 28
Information 2 38
Finance & insurance 22 113
Central bank/credit intermediation 7 82
Securities, commodity contracts & other 6 12
Insurance carriers & related activities 9 19
Real estate & rental & leasing 12 28
Professional, scientific & technical services 80 247
Legal services 20 68
Management of companies & enterprises 1 2
Admin. & support, waste management 50 84
Educational services 11 205
Health care & social assistance 37 335
Arts, entertainment & recreation 4 20
Accomodation & food services 10 92
Hotels 1 10
Restaurants 9 82
Other services 41 159
Automotive repair & maintenance 6 15
Unclassified 42 0
TOTAL 478 2,278
Public Administration 32 744
Source: Esri; RKG Associates 2015
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3. Unemployment Trends
The labor force and unemployment
rate are measures of the size of a Figure 3-6
region’s active, resident worker base, as
AVERAGE LABOR FORCE AND
well as their current employment status.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
The labor force includes workers who
2005 to 2014
are currently employed, unemployed, or
27,500 8%
actively looking for work. Queen
Anne’s County’s labor force increased 27,000 7%
steadily from 25,037 in 2005 to
26,500
27,043 in 2009. In 2010, the workforce 6%
contracted to 26,141, rose, then fell to 26,000
5%
its 2014 level of 26,258.
25,500
4%
Unemployment rates in the county have 25,000
followed state trends. The rates in the 24,500 3%
county have remained consistently lower
than the State of Maryland throughout 24,000 2%
the study period (Figure 3-6).
QAC Labor Force County State
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics; RKG Associates, 2015
5. Commuting Patterns
Understanding commuting patterns can provide useful insight into evaluating potential actions in
developing an economic development strategy. Commuting patterns highlight the flow of workers into,
and out of, a given labor market area and as such, can help to indicate where there may be potential
to capture additional jobs that are “leaking” from the local economic base.
Figure 3-7 illustrates 2011 commuting patterns for at-place workers and residents of Centreville. Of
the 2,404 persons estimated to be employed in Centreville that year, approximately 203 (8.4%)
were Centreville residents, and 2,201 (91.6%) lived outside the Town and commuted in. Commuters
who left Centreville to work elsewhere numbered approximately 2,366.
A different circumstance emerges when commuting patterns for Queen Anne’s County are examined.
Of the 12,664 persons estimated to be employed in the County that year, approximately 5,319
(42%) were County residents, and 7,345 (58%) lived outside the County and commuted in. Commuters
who left the County to work elsewhere numbered approximately 18,151. The State of Maryland
Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation estimates that 12% of residents commute to Anne
Arundel County, 9.2% commute to Baltimore County and Baltimore City, 5.5% commute to Prince
George’s County, 3.7% commute to Montgomery County, and 1.5% commute to Washington, D.C.
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Figure 3-7: Inflow-Outflow of Labor, Centreville, MD
Source: U.S. Census Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics 2015
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Figure 3-8: Inflow-Outflow of Labor, Queen Anne’s County, MD
Source: U.S. Census Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics 2015
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D. IMPLICATIONS
Population change rates in Centreville and Queen Anne’s County exceeded the state from 2000 to
2013. An examination of age trends indicate the area is a viable destination for the older working
age group between 45 and 64, as well as retiring baby boomers. The young, working age millennials
between 25 and 44 have been migrating out of the area, most likely to urban/suburban employment
centers that offer a broad range of jobs and housing choices. This is a trend in rural, as well as
suburban, areas throughout the nation as a well-educated and tech savvy workforce converges in the
cities.
With all of the challenges in retaining its millennial workforce, Queen Anne’s County has succeeded in
adding jobs at a higher rate than the state since 2004. The relatively high proportions of juvenile and
retirement age populations support demand for age in place and child-directed service businesses.
Nonetheless, declines in the County’s workforce could present challenges for attracting business in the
future.
Although there were notable increases in the lower paying retail and service sectors such as hotels and
restaurants, the County also added jobs in the health care sector. While hotels, restaurants and retail
in the County are heavily dependent on visitation, tourism, and travel, growth in the health care sector
is more a function of resident population and demographics.
The manufacturing sector lost over 300 jobs from 2003 to 2012, and now employs just over 500. Two
of the major employers in this sector are PRS Guitars (musical instruments) and Delmarva Sash and
Door (millwork). Efforts to bolster this sector will be an important component of an economic
development strategy, and will be most effective if undertaken in partnership local, regional, and
state agencies and organizations.
From a socioeconomic standpoint, there are several advantages to Centreville that can be marketed to
potential employers. First, Centreville can draw from a highly educated workforce that resides in the
Town and the County, many who presently commute to jobs on the Western Shore. Second, the
population is growing at a faster rate than the State, indicating a steadily increasing demand for
goods and services. Third, the age cohort with the greatest amount of resources to purchase goods and
services, the 45 and over group, is steadily growing.
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4
ASSETS, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES
A. BUSINESS ATTRACTION AND SUPPORT ASSETS
1. Real Estate Assets Figure 4-1: Centreville Business Park
Centreville enjoys substantial and
diverse real estate assets targeted to
employment supporting uses in various
stages of development. These assets
are identified and described below by
their distinguishing characteristics,
location within the Town, and potential
for business opportunities in Centreville.
Real estate assets are presented in the
sequence of their readiness to
accommodate development, from near-
term to long-term opportunities.
Near-Term Opportunity Areas
• Centreville Business Park (Park) &
Source: MD DBED 2015
Coursevall Building — The
Centreville Business Park is the
Figure 4-2: Coursevall Building
Town’s premier commerce park
located on the east side of Route 213.
Comprising approximately 110 acres,
the Park accommodates both retail
and employment supporting uses,
including one-story office buildings
and a 67,600-square-foot flex
building. Flex space gets its name by
having a flexible amount of office or
showroom space in combination with
manufacturing, laboratory, warehouse
Source: RKG Associates 2015
distribution, etc. It is generally
constructed with little or no common Figure 4-3: Flex Building
areas, load-bearing floors, loading
dock facilities and high ceilings, but
can usually accommodate overhead
doors. The entire flex building is
available for lease. There is
additional office space available for
lease and proposed for construction.
The Park also contains approximately
50 acres of finished, undeveloped
sites (Figure 4-1).
Source: RKG Associates 2015
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The Coursevall Building is located on the west side of Route 213 across from the Centreville
Business Park. The 20,000-square-foot Class A building is currently advertised as having 17,000
square feet available for lease (Figure 4-2).
• Downtown Centreville — Centreville’s downtown employment supporting uses include municipal
buildings as well as small to medium sized commercial buildings ranging from two to three stories.
The May 2015 Main Street Market Analysis prepared by JGSC surveyed the Main Street District
and identified 135 properties housing retail or restaurants, 7 non-retail tenants, and 17 vacant
properties. The Main Street District also contains public buildings such as the District Court, Health
Department, Post Office, Library, and Town Offices.
Two notable economic development opportunity sites were identified in the course of the analysis
of Downtown Centreville: the publicly-owned land on the east side of Pennsylvania Avenue; and,
the FBI Annex building attached to the Post Office. Both of these sites are discussed in greater
detail in the next section of this report.
Mid-Term Opportunity Area
• County Complex/YMCA Residual
Property — Queen Anne’s County
Figure 4-4: Queen Anne’s County Property
will be consolidating various
operations in its new office complex
on Route 304 in 2016, and
negotiations are underway to
develop a YMCA sports and
recreation facility nearby. The
County may seek to dispose of
excess land fronting Route 304 to
the private sector as development
moves forward, which will present
the potential for commercial
development through rezoning that
could benefit from the presence of
Source: RKG Associates 2015
both the County complex and the
YMCA. The potential for this site is
discussed in greater detail in the next
Figure 4-5: US Rt. 301/MD Rt. 304 Interchange Area
section of this report (Figure 4-4).
Long-Term Opportunity Area
• U.S. Rt. 301/ MD Rt. 304 Interchange
Area — The 2009 Centreville
Community Plan (Plan) shows a
pattern of future annexation from the
Town’s eastern limit along MD Rt.
304 extending east to U.S. Rt. 301.
The 301/304 interchange area is
currently zoned Suburban Industrial,
and is shown on the Plan as a County
Planned Business Park. The potential
for this area is discussed in greater Source: RKG Associates 2015
detail in the next section of this
report (Figure 4-5).
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2. Business Development Resources
A key step in developing an economic development strategy is to gain an understanding of the
ongoing efforts of local and regional economic development agencies, including their specific activities
in support of Centreville’s economic development objectives. This is to ensure that the Town’s strategy
enhances, not duplicates, current initiatives conducted by Queen Anne’s County Office of Economic
Development, the Small Business Development Center at Chesapeake College, and other key
advocacy organizations. In this way the Town can direct their efforts and allocate resources where
they will be most effective in achieving their specific goals and objectives. Strategic partners in
Centreville’s economic development efforts include, but are not limited to the following agencies and
organizations:
Queen Anne’s County Office of Economic Development - The lead agency for implementing
economic development initiatives for the County and its jurisdictions. Also plays the strategic
leadership role in working with and leveraging the assets of regional and state economic development
entities as well as workforce development, education and job-training providers.
Centreville Economic Development Authority (CEDA) – CEDA is an official body of volunteer
stakeholders tasked with certain responsibilities related to advancing business development and job
creation in and around the Town. These tasks include oversight of activities and initiatives related to
economic development in the Town of Centreville.
Centreville Main Street Program – Main Street Maryland is a comprehensive downtown revitalization
program created in 1998 by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. The
program was developed to help designated communities improve the economy, appearance and
image of their traditional downtown business districts. The Town of Centreville became a designated
Main Street program in 2012.
Small Business Development Center (SBDC) – The SBDC provides management training and technical
assistance to small businesses, offering consulting services and training at no cost to its clients. The most
common profile of businesses seeking assistance from the SBDC is ten or less employees and gross
revenues of $5 million or less. The Chesapeake College satellite office serves Caroline, Dorchester,
Kent, Queen Anne's and Talbot Counties, with Queen Anne’s being the most active.
The SBDC is an excellent resource for tracking business activity in the region. The businesses who access
the SBDC are typically seeking assistance with the preparation of business plans to guide their
expansions. These homegrown businesses are most likely to maintain their roots in the community, and
every effort should be made to ensure that they have access to all of the available resources they
need to thrive and prosper.
Queen Anne’s County Economic Development Incentive Fund Commission – Offers loans and
grants to businesses interested in relocating to the county and businesses already in the county that are
seeking to expand. In 2014, the county committed $750,000 to the fund and will continue to replenish
it with 50 cents of every $4.95 from recordation taxes. A five-member commission oversees the fund,
which can be used outside of Priority Funding Areas.
Upper Shore SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) – SCORE is a network of volunteers who
offer small business entrepreneurs confidential business counseling and mentoring services at no
charge. SCORE also provides local workshops and events to connect small business owners with the
people and information they need to start, grow, and maintain their businesses. Upper Shore SCORE is
located in Chestertown.
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Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center (ESEC) – ESEC is nonprofit organization that assists
entrepreneurs through a portfolio of loan funds, a 10-week training program for new and expanding
businesses, and the initiation of coworking spaces, including the existing hotDesks in Easton, and
planned locations in Berlin, Cambridge, Chestertown, Denton, Easton, Kent Island and Princess Anne.
Maryland Capital Enterprises (MCE) – MCE provides small business loans to businesses located in its
service area, which includes Queen Anne’s County. Start-up for-profit business owners with 10 or less
employees are eligible, and must have attempted to receive a loan through a traditional lender or a
bank that is located within MCE's Service Area. Candidates must have a clearly established business
idea and business plan and ability to create full-time, part-time employment for low-to moderate
income residents. Loans are for any amount from $5,000 to $35,000 for up to ten years.
State of Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) - DBED is the State
of Maryland chief economic development agency. DBED offers small business assistance, funding,
business relocation services and tourism promotion. DBED’s employs a Regional Growth and Retention
team that is based geographically to assist businesses with access to DBED’s programs and services.
Business development representatives assist with a broad range of business needs, from identifying
sources of funding, customer/supplier connections and networking, to accessing DBED programs and
resources, workforce and technical resources.
B. INFRASTRUCTURE
1. Transportation and Access
Highway - U.S. Route 301 is four-lane divided highway running north and south within one mile of
Centreville’s town limit. U.S. Route 301 joins and overlaps U.S. Route 50 approximately six miles west
of Centreville. U.S. 50/U.S. 301 eventually accesses Interstate 97 that goes north to Baltimore, and I-
495 and I-95, near Washington, D.C. Interstate 95 is the major north/south highway of the eastern
seaboard. The average estimated daily traffic count for the section of U.S. Route 301 between MD
213 and MD 304 is 18,700.
The planned construction of an interchange that will include a new MD 304 bridge over U.S. 301 which
is intended to enhance safety and improve access to Centreville.
Rail - Centreville is served by the Maryland and Delaware Railroad (MDRR), which terminates near
the 301/304 interchange. The MDRR line ties into the Norfolk Southern system in New Castle County,
Delaware, which serves the Port of Wilmington to the north and the Hampton Roads, Virginia area to
the south (Figure 4-5).
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Figure 4-6: Maryland Rail System
Source: Maryland & Delaware Railroad Company 2015
Airport - The closest regional general aviation airport is Bay Bridge on Kent Island, approximately 16
miles to the west, off of U.S. Route 50. The closest commercial airport is BWI-Thurgood Marshall
International, which is 51 miles from Centreville.
2. Water and Sewer
The Town’s Department of Public Works provides water and sewer service in Centreville. Public Works
estimates that the development of infill sites within the Town’s current limits (including proposed projects
in the development pipeline) would bring wastewater treatment to near capacity, although this has not
been formally documented. Once 80% of capacity is reached, law dictates the initiation of the
planning process for expansion. The existing treatment plant has been designed to treat 750,000
gallons per day (gpd), but is permitted to process only 542,000 gpd. The treatment plant can be
officially re-rated to 750,000 gpd if provisions are made for disposal.
Average daily outputs from the wastewater treatment plant have ranged between 63% and 66%
from 2012 through 2014. The Town’s Sewer Capacity Management Plan uses these averages as
benchmarks and projects future capacity based on proposed and potential development within the
Town limits. The town continually evaluates its position and considers different paths forward to plan
for future growth. The long-term capital budget for the Enterprise Fund anticipates capital
improvements that will be necessary to maintain the system’s capacity and efficiency as new
development is brought on line.
Annexation of designated growth areas outside of the current Town limits may require significant new
wastewater treatment capacity upgrades. With regard to water, the County has deeded an acre to
the Town near the 301/304 interchange for a future water tower. However, an assessment of
Centreville’s current build-out capacity suggests that capacity will be adequate to serve pipeline
development in the near- to mid-term.
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3. Broadband Service
The National Telecommunications Information Administration defines broadband service availability as
“available" to an end user at an address if a broadband service provider does, or could, within a
typical service interval (7 to 10 business days), without an extraordinary commitment of resources,
provision two-way data transmission to and from the Internet with advertised speeds of at least 768
kilobits per second (kbps) downstream and at least 200 kbps upstream to the end user at the address.
End users are defined as a residential or business party, institution or state or local government entity,
including a Community Anchor Institution, that may use broadband service for its own purposes and
that does not resell such service to other entities or incorporate such service into retail Internet-access
services. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are not "end users" for this purpose. Community Anchor
Institutions are defined as schools, libraries, medical and healthcare providers, public safety entities,
community colleges, and other institutions of higher education, and other community support
organizations and entities. There are seven Community Anchor Institutions served by broadband in
Centreville. A fiber optic trunk line runs north/south through Centreville along MD Route 213.
Residents and businesses in Centreville have good broadband availability and a number of service
providers to choose from, depending on their needs. Broadband service providers in Centreville
include:
• AT&T Mobile Wireless
• Atlantic Broadband Cable Modem
• Verizon Wireless Mobile Wireless
• Sprint Mobile Wireless
• Verizon DSL
• Exede (ViaSat) Satellite
• Hughes Satellite
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C. WORKFORCE CHARACTERISTICS
The availability of a skilled workforce is an important determinant with regard to where businesses
decide to locate. The Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR) provides
workforce information for Workforce Investment Areas (WIA), which are geographical divisions which
may comprise one or more counties. For the purposes of this analysis, data was obtained for the
Upper Shore WIA, which includes Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot Counties. The
workforce characteristics examined in this section apply to residents in the WIA without regard to
where they are employed.
The WIA contains a lower proportion of age 30 to 54 workers than the state, at 54% compared to
56%, and a higher proportion of age 55-plus workers, at 24% compared to 21%. Annual earnings
are considerably less than the state, with higher proportions in the $40,000-and-less ranges, and a
lower proportion in the more-than-$40,000 range, at 24% compared to 48% for the state.
Educational attainment of bachelor’s degree or higher was 22% in the WIA compared to 27% in the
state (Table 4-1). This highlights Centreville’s relative prosperity and higher educational achievement
among its peer jurisdictions within the region.
Queen Anne’s County had the lowest unemployment rate within the WIA in March, 2015 at 5.1%,
compared to 5.9% in Talbot, 6.3% in Caroline, 6.4% in Kent, and 8.5% in Dorchester. This is likely due
to the relatively short commute to employment nodes on the western shore that Queen Anne’s County
residents enjoy.
Table 4-1
Resident Workforce Characteristics
Upper Shore Workforce Investment Area 2011
WIA State
Count Share Share
Total All Jobs 77,972 100% 100%
JOBS BY WORKER AGE
Age 29 or younger 17,544 22% 23%
Age 30 to 54 41,800 54% 56%
Age 55 and older 18,628 24% 21%
JOBS BY ANNUAL EARNINGS
$15,000 or less 19,685 25% 21%
$15,000 to $40,000 41,800 54% 31%
More than $40,000 18,628 24% 48%
WORKER EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Less than high school 6,645 9% 9%
High school, no college 17,612 23% 19%
Associate degree or some college 19,260 25% 23%
Bachelor's or advanced degree 16,911 22% 27%
Information not available 17,544 23% 23%
JOBS BY WORKER SEX
Male 37,390 48% 48%
Female 40,582 52% 52%
Source: US Census 2015
While outside the employed labor pool, the growing retirement-aged population also provides an
opportunity for job creation and industry growth. National trends indicate that the Baby Boomer
cohort is more inclined to explore entrepreneurship or work on a part-time basis in their “retirement.”
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In either case, it is a potential pool of labor to be harnessed and a substantial resource for
entrepreneurial development and mentoring.
An examination of the employment by industry sector of Upper Shore WIA residents provides some
indication of the distribution and diversity of skills available in the labor force. In 2011, blue collar
industry sectors employed an estimated 18% of the labor force. The largest single industry sector was
manufacturing, with 5,640 employed, followed closely by construction with just over 5,000 employed.
Transportation and warehousing was the third largest sector with 2,394 employed.
The white collar sectors are dominated by workers in the healthcare industry, with approximately
10,700 workers. Retail trade and accommodations and food services were second and third in private
sector employment, with approximately 9,900 and 7,200 employed, respectively. A relatively high
number of nearly 5,200 WIA residents were employed in the professional, scientific, and technical
services sector, which typically requires high skill levels (Table 4-2).
In 2010, DLLR estimated that 48% of the WIA residents were employed in the Upper Shore, and
another 12% commuted to jobs in Anne Arundel County. The high proportion of out-commuters
indicates that potential exists to capture additional jobs that are “leaking” from the local economic
base.
Table 4-2
Resident Employment Characteristics
Upper Shore Workforce Investment Area 2011
Count Share
Total All Jobs 77,972 100%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing & hunting 864
Mining, oil and gas extraction 60
Utilities 326
Construction 5,079
Manufacturing 5,640
Transportation and warehousing 2,394
Total Blue Collar Workforce 14,363 18%
Wholesale trade 3,433
Retail trade 9,922
Information 1,143
Finance & insurance 2,338
Real estate & rental & leasing 1,080
Professional, scientific & technical services 5,163
Management of companies & enterprises 674
Admin. & support, waste management 3,537
Educational services 7,483
Health care & social assistance 10,691
Arts, entertainment & recreation 1,404
Accomodation & food services 7,210
Other services 3,142
Public Administration 6,389
Total White Collar Workforce 63,609 82%
Source: US Census 2015
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D. QUALITY OF LIFE
The quality of life analysis examines the qualitative aspects of economic development. It is important
to understand the criteria that companies look for when deciding where to locate. This analysis focuses
on the top four recurring quality of life factors reported in the past five annual surveys of site selection
decision makers by Area Development Magazine.
1. Crime
A low crime rate was ranked as the top quality of life criteria. As shown in Table 4-3, both Queen
Anne’s County’s violent crime and property crime rates are lower than the state. During the five-year
analysis period, total crime in the county peaked in 2011 and dropped to its second lowest level since
2009, according to statistics compiled by the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention (Table
4-3).
Table 4-3
Crime Statististics 2009-2013
Queen Anne's County
2013 Rate*
2009 2010 2011 2012 County State
Violent Crime 243.3 244.8 308.8 190.5 237.1 467.5
Property Crime 1,906.9 2,003.1 1,968.9 1,681.7 1,726.9 2,659.9
Total 2,150.2 2,247.9 2,277.7 1,872.2 1,964.0 3,127.4
*Per 100,000 residents
Source: MD Governor's Office of Crime Control & Prevention
2. Healthcare Facilities
Centreville is fairly well served from a healthcare perspective relative to the availability and
accessibility of hospital facilities. There are three hospitals within a 20-mile drive and a fourth major
hospital, Anne Arundel Medical Center, within a 30-mile drive. The closest acute care facility is the
University of Maryland’s Shore Health System’s Queenstown Emergency Center with 14 beds, eight
miles from Centreville. Centreville should be considered as providing area businesses and residents
with good access to quality healthcare, a consistently important quality of life factor as cited in the site
location factors survey (Table 4-4).
Table 4-4
Regional Acute Care Hospital Facilities
Staffed Emergency
Hospital County City Beds Services
UM Shore Emergency Center Queen Anne's Queenstown 14 Yes
Chester River Hospital Center Kent Chestertown 64 Yes
Memorial Hospital Talbot Easton 183 Yes
Anne Arundel Medical Center Anne Arundel Annapolis 317 Yes
Source: Hospitals-Data.com
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3. Ratings of Public Schools
Figure 4-7
A good public school system can play a
significant role in providing a solid MEAN SAT SCORES
foundation for a community’s economic 2014
development program. The K-12
education is important for training 504
students in the basic skill sets required by
employers for entry-level and semi-skilled 491
positions. Maintaining high academic 486
482 483
standards and rankings for the county’s
school district are also important as a
470
community attribute since they are likely
to be a job-acceptance factor for
potential employees considering
relocation from outside the county. The
ratings of the local public school system is
also a consideration of executive Reading Math Writing
decisions to locate and/or expand to a
State of MD Queen Anne's County
jurisdiction.
Source: MD State Dept. of Education 2015
There are many factors that contribute to
achieving good school system results
which are difficult to capture in a single
metric. One indicator that is often used is standardized test scores since they allow comparability with
other school districts. Figure 4-7 illustrates a comparison of recent Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) results
for public schools in Queen Anne’s County and the State of Maryland as a whole. In 2014, the
county’s mean SAT scores exceeded those of the state in all three educational disciplines: reading,
math and writing.
4. Housing Costs
Figure 4-8
Housing costs consistently rank as an
important quality of life criterion in the
site selection survey. From a statewide
perspective Centreville’s housing prices
are relatively expensive with a 2012
median owner occupied home value of
approximately $354,900 compared to
$292,700 and $176,700 in the state
and nation, respectively. By comparison,
the county’s median owner occupied
home value is slightly higher than the
town’s at $356,800.
Approximately 25% (369) of occupied housing units in Centreville are rented. Median contract rent in
Centreville in 2012 was a veritable bargain at $711, compared to $1,064 in the county and $1,196
in the state. As the Town of Centreville annexes designated Growth Areas (Section F) in the future,
consideration should be given to the provision of multi-family development to provide more diverse
housing opportunities than now exist.
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E. AMENITIES
Although Centreville is located within short driving distance of tourist and visitor’s destinations such as
Kent Island and Chestertown, it does not currently possess the critical mass of attractions or the
infrastructure that characterize leisure destinations. Nonetheless, it has the potential to capture a larger
share of leisure visitors to the Eastern Shore, and very attractive amenities for its resident and daytime
populations that contribute to its overall quality of life.
1. Pedestrian Friendly Historic Downtown
Figure 4-9
Historic Downtown Centreville offers a
pedestrian friendly traditional downtown,
complete with restaurants, shops, and the
Courthouse Square, which is fronted by
many of the town’s historic buildings The
downtown area serves as the center of
the Queen Anne’s County Seat, and
boasts a variety of professional and
personal service businesses. The
downtown is within easy walking distance
of government offices, private businesses,
and residential neighborhoods.
2. Wharf Area
The Wharf Area covers over two acres
at the start of the Corsica River, Figure 4-10
comprising an office building and
warehouse, and the Queen Anne’s County
Landing. The Queen Anne’s County
Landing features a boat ramp and a
small number of slips. Town assets include
a boardwalk with fishing decks,
additional slips, a small park with a
playground, and a parking area that is
split between the Town and County.
While the Centreville Wharf serves as an
attractive amenity to residents, its use as
a venue for events is constrained by its
limited area and parking, as well as
occasional high water issues.
F. CAPACITY TO GROW
In 2009, the Town of Centreville, in collaboration with the Queen Anne’s County Department of Land
Use, Growth Management and Environment, prepared the Centreville Community Plan. The Centreville
Community Plan establishes goals, objectives, and recommendations for the long-term growth
management of the incorporated Town of Centreville and nearby unincorporated areas of Queen
Anne’s County. Centreville is one of six designated growth sub-areas in Queen Anne’s County, where
development is encouraged to concentrate in order to conserve rural and environmentally sensitive
areas.
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The Centreville Community Plan makes provisions for Growth Areas around Centreville to absorb
future development and facilitate annexation into the Town for contiguous development wishing to
take advantage of an extension of utilities. In order to encourage and direct future development into
these growth areas, the Centreville Community Plan recommends various mechanisms such as higher
densities and mixed use zoning in appropriate areas that will permit medium to high density housing,
institutional uses, retail and service businesses under prescribed conditions. Figure 4-11 shows the
future Town Growth Areas.
Figure 4-11
Source: 2009 Town of Centreville Community Plan
There are also infill opportunities within the Main Street District, including the Town owned parcel of
land on the east side of Pennsylvania Avenue, and redevelopment opportunities on Banjo Lane, north
of Broadway (Figure 4-12).
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Figure 4-12
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G. MARKET CONTEXT
1. Office/Flex Space
The amount and duration of vacant office and flex space for lease in Centreville are indicative of its
competitive position in the local marketplace. The town’s key competitor is the 85-acre Chesapeake
Bay Business Park, which benefits from its relatively close proximity to Annapolis, and the overflow
effect of businesses that wish to locate in that submarket. The Town of Centreville, and its secondary
competitor Easton, must rely on their own merits as business locations.
An examination of space advertised for
Table 4-5
lease in May of 2015 shows 25,000
square feet of office available in Employment Supporting Space for Lease
Centreville, 17,000 square feet of which is Market Office SF Flex SF Industrial SF
in the Coursevall Building across from the
Centreville 25,000 67,000 0
Centreville Business Park. The 67,000
Stevensville 15,000 106,350 158,670
square feet of flex space is in one building
in the Centreville Business Park. Flex space Easton 28,500 35,052 82,749
gets its name by having a flexible amount Annapolis 484,962 32,728 21,000
of office or showroom space in
TOTAL 553,462 241,130 262,419
combination with manufacturing,
laboratory, warehouse distribution, etc. It is Source: MD Dept. of Business & Economic Development
generally constructed with little or no
common areas, load-bearing floors,
loading dock facilities and high ceilings, but can usually accommodate overhead doors.
In the meantime, 15,000 square feet of office and 106,350 square feet of flex space are available
in Stevensville, and 28,500 square feet of office and 35,052 square feet of flex space are available
in Easton. Annapolis is shown for comparison purposes, where nearly 500,000 square feet of office is
available (Table 4-5).
Discussions with real estate professionals in the course of the work program confirmed that the local
market is very competitive with respect to lease rates and tenant concessions. For example, much of the
office and flex inventory at the Chesapeake Bay Business Park predates comparable buildings in
Centreville by as much as 30 years or more, giving property owners more flexibility in setting terms to
attract new tenants.
2. Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC)
In July 2014, Emory Properties commissioned a Preliminary Market Analysis for an assisted living
facility at the Centreville Business Park, prepared by Real Property Research Group (RPRG). The study
concluded that Centreville could comfortably support the development of a private pay assisted living
community of between 30 and 40 units, and that the site is a suitable location for that type of product.
RKG Associates has reviewed the study as part of its work program, and found the methodology
sound and concurs with the conclusions.
A more detailed analysis of age characteristics conducted by RKG for a three county area reinforces
the findings of the RPRG analysis, and indeed suggests that demand will steadily increase. From 2000
to 2013 in Queen Anne’s County, the 85-plus CCRC candidate age cohort increased by 111%, from
391 to 826, and the 65-plus CCRC feeder cohort increased by 47%, from 5,175 to 7,596. When
Kent, Talbot, and Caroline Counties are factored into the equation, the 85-plus CCRC candidate age
cohort increased from 2,210 to 3,294 (49%) during the same period, and the 65-plus CCRC feeder
cohort increased from 19,821 to 26,004 (32%).
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The Eastern Shore has been a popular retirement destination in recent years, attracting residents with
its slower pace, moderate weather, numerous amenities and overall quality of life. The general trend
within both the county and regional population is one towards an older demographic. In 2014, persons
aged 65 years and older comprised approximately 17% of the population in the count, compared to
14% in the state overall. This has positive implications for potential development and future expansion
of a CCRC in Centreville.
H. SUMMARY OF ASSETS, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
1. Assets
• 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.
• Centreville Economic Development Authority.
• Designated Main Street.
• Town is within a designated Heritage Area and located on a National Scenic Highway Route.
2. Challenges
• Distance from major markets.
• Weak position in a regional tourism/visitation economy.
• Relative competitive disadvantage in office/flex market.
• Visitor’s support infrastructure lacks lodging.
• Younger, white collar workforce is trending to urban areas.
3. Opportunities
• New county economic development regime.
• Commitments to proactive economic development efforts on the part of Town and County.
• Economic development plan.
• Opportunity areas that can be planned to facilitate economic development.
• Publicly owned real estate assets that can be leveraged to fund economic development initiatives.
• Provisions for new growth areas in Centreville Community Plan.
Can accommodate new housing opportunities.
o
Can accommodate employment supporting uses.
o
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5
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
A. INTRODUCTION
The Town of Centreville administration recognizes that a strategic plan for economic development is a
critical component to improve the quality of life for the Town’s residents. The competitive landscape
necessitates that Centreville take a more proactive approach with its own business and economic
development initiatives, and otherwise develop a plan to help ensure its future economic prosperity.
The first step in this process was to form the Centreville Economic Development Authority (CEDA), an
assemblage of representatives from the business community, real estate professionals, elected officials,
and public sector administrators. The next step was to initiate the preparation of the plan contained
herein.
Successful implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy is a complex effort that
requires coordination and cooperation from a number of stakeholders. An effective implementation
plan will require the material assistance of the County, as well as cooperation from workforce and
education providers, local businesses, financial institutions, community leaders, and regional and state
partners, to name a few. The following plan incorporates short-, medium,- and long-term initiatives that
will enable the Town and County to take immediate action on certain tasks as well as take initial steps
in the planning for long-term projects.
B. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
The following action items are considered to be a “priority” for economic development implementation
in Centreville. Both RKG Associates and CEDA believe these action items are the core competencies
necessary to create a viable, effective economic development effort. While the actions identified and
detailed in the implementation plan are necessary to meet the full vision for economic development in
the town, their implementation are considered to be subject to available resources. Numeric sequence
does not denote a higher or lower priority, and the implementation action plan should maintain
sufficient flexibility to respond to market dynamics and the circumstances at hand. That said, CEDA, in
full partnership and cooperation with Queen Anne’s County Department of Economic Development
(QACDED), should have the final decision on the approach and focus of economic development within
the Town in collaboration with the Town Council.
1. Organization and Coordination
Preferred Option: Queen Anne’s County Economic Development Implements Initiatives – The
QACDED and Economic Development Commission (EDC) have emphatically expressed a renewed
commitment to Centreville’s future economic development endeavors. Indeed, the QACDED makes no
distinction between incorporated and non-incorporated areas of the county, and both QACDED and
the EDC consider Centreville a focus area for future job creation and retention in the county. For a
community the size and scale of Centreville, an effective implementation plan will require substantial
resources and technical expertise to execute. It is recommended therefore that QACDED serve as the
Town’s lead implementation entity to carry out initiatives and activities associated with economic
development in the Town of Centreville.
On Centreville’s behalf, QACEDC should have the following key responsibilities:
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• Provide guidance to individuals and companies to establish, relocate, or expand their
businesses within the Town.
• Coordinate and execute the Town’s economic development initiatives; manage contracted
vendors for special projects.
• Serve on the CEDA Board and regularly attend scheduled CEDA meetings to report progress,
advise on budgeting, and discuss issues related to the Town’s economic development.
• Work with the Town and CEDA to administer business incentives and retention strategies;
develop, negotiate, and administer economic incentive agreements with companies that induce
the creation of jobs and investment within Centreville.
• Work closely with CEDA to identify and work through issues associated with the promotion of
business location and expansion within the Town.
• 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 in Centreville and include
on the QACDED website.
• Provide advisory services on budgeting for economic development initiatives, including the
Centreville Main Street Program.
In addition to the responsibilities of the QACDED outlined above, the Town of Centreville should
request a seat on the EDC in order to maintain active lines of communication and remain informed of
the County’s latest initiatives and efforts to foster economic development in Centreville and elsewhere
in the County.
The Centreville Main Street program appropriately belongs under the aegis of an overall economic
development strategy, which is consistent with economic development best practices. Centreville’s
downtown revitalization and sustainability is one key element to a strategic effort that will involve
other significant undertakings, such as the tenanting of vacant space in the Centreville Business Park
and the development of key opportunity sites. Funding directed towards marketing and branding, for
example, should be strategically targeted to provide the maximum benefit to greater Centreville.
Later Phase Alternative Option: Create an Economic Development Manager’s Position – The Town
of Centreville’s Economic Development Plan and associated implementation represents the first
organized and coordinated town-wide economic development effort undertaken. Even with a renewed
commitment from the County with a particular focus on Centreville, market realities will remain a strong
determinant of success in the years to come. In consideration of this, a reasonable period of three
years should be allotted before the program’s success is evaluated and any significant course changes
are considered. In this relatively short period success should be measured more by how the plan is
executed rather than tangible results which will only be realized through the efforts of a host of
stakeholders and beneficiaries.
At this juncture in the economic development program, the QACDED, CEDA, and the Town may reach a
consensus that the dedicated efforts of a business development professional on a part-time basis may
be appropriate to assist and enhance QACDED efforts on behalf of the Town. The Economic
Development Manager’s work should be performed under the direction of the Town Manager and
Town Council and reviewed by CEDA through conferences, reports, and observation of results
obtained.
The Economic Development Manager should have the following key responsibilities:
• Act as liaison between the Town government, CEDA, and the County Economic Development
Office to ensure the Town’s interests are represented in the County’s economic development
activities and allocation of resources.
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• Provide Centreville leadership in the area of economic development with active service on
boards, committees and working groups of local economic development organizations such as
the Queen Anne’s County Economic Development Commission and the Chamber.
• Establish and maintain professional relationships with strategic implementation partners such as
the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) and the Maryland
Eastern Region Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
• Supervise the Centreville Main Street Program. Day to day management of the program
would still fall under the Main Street Manager.
2. Business Development Initiatives
Market and Promote the Centreville Business Park for an Assisted Living Facility or Continuing
Care Retirement Community (CCRC) – In July 2014, Emory Properties commissioned a Preliminary
Market Analysis for an assisted living facility at the Centreville Business Park, prepared by Real
Property Research Group (RPRG). The study concluded that Centreville could comfortably support the
development of a private pay assisted living community of between 30 and 40 units, and that the site
is a suitable location for that type of product.
The Economic Development Manager could directly market and promote the site to Assisted
Living/CCRC companies, using the RPRG report as marketing collateral (with permission of the report’s
owner, Emory Properties). Assisted Living/CCRC companies can be easily identified through contact
with organizations and associations such as the Assisted Living Federation of America (AIFA) and the
National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care (NIC).
Create a Business Incubator in Partnership with the County – Queen Anne’s County Economic
Development has expressed its interest in creating a business incubator as an economic development
initiative. As the county seat, and possessing available space suitable for accommodating an array of
business types, Centreville should be the County’s first choice for this endeavor. This creates the
potential for a process where Centreville becomes a connection point by virtue of its physical space,
bringing together investors (funding), mentors (business planning), and entrepreneurs (products and
ideas) in creating opportunities for companies to grow and prosper in the town. The entrepreneurial
program should be modeled after the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA) best practices
approach and vetted through the an entrepreneurial advisory panel that includes representatives of
CEDA, the county’s Economic Development Commission, and others, as appropriate.
Concurrent to the program launch, a comprehensive outreach effort to potential partners (i.e. SBDC,
potential investors, etc.) should be initiated to gauge interest and investment requirements. This is a
critical component of the initiative, and likely will define the potential for program expansion. Seeking
investors, partners, and funding sources simultaneously with identifying potential users will aid in the
business planning process. Chesapeake Community College’s Small Business Development Center could
be a key ally in the effort to set up a functional program for nurturing entrepreneurship.
While the county will lead the creation of an entrepreneurial program, the time and resources
necessary to run the program likely will require a partnership of several entities (public and/or
private). It is recommended that a joint venture/PPP be created to spread the responsibility and the
risk. Once the business incubator consortium is able to identify interest patterns from prospects,
investors, and mentors, the staff will be better positioned to create a viable business plan. The
business planning effort should solicit input from investor groups that express interest during the
outreach phase.
Create a Business Development Node through a Co-Work Arrangement – Centreville should
proactively improve its position in the local business environment through actions that differentiate it
from the competition for office and flex tenants in Kent Island and Easton. This can be accomplished
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through a public or public/private initiative to create and operate co-work space, which is a shared
working space accommodating independent activity. This effort can build on the business incubator
initiative, using the momentum created to retain businesses in Centreville that have graduated from the
incubation stage.
Co-work space typically appeals to like-minded entrepreneurs, start-ups, and small businesses, and
offers dedicated desk space with shared meeting rooms. Co-working space differs from incubators
and executive suites in that it encourages collaboration between people who are working
independently but would otherwise be working in relative isolation. Amenities such as shared reception,
shared cost centers (i.e. phone, internet, publishing, marketing) add value.
Since the pure appeal of available co-work space is probably not sufficient in and of itself to attract
tenants, some incentives will be necessary to enhance its attractiveness to potential tenants. By its
nature, co-work space is a value alternative to conventional work space, but may not necessarily fit in
with the business models of private property owners. In the event co-work space is developed as a
public/private partnership, the Town of Centreville could offer property tax abatements to landlords
to compensate for the discount rents, and/or otherwise contribute capital for tenant improvements.
Potential tenants for co-work space (and other available space in Centreville) can be identified
through communication and outreach with business support organizations such as the SBDC, SCORE,
MCE, and the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center. These organizations interact with local small
businesses and entrepreneurs on a daily basis, and often receive inquiries on the locations of available
space from their clients.
The long term objective of the co-work space initiative is to create a foothold for entrepreneurial
businesses in Centreville. The findings of numerous studies have concluded that successful homegrown
businesses are the most likely to maintain their roots in a community. While transplanted firms remain
important to local, regional, and state economies, the local focus should be spurring innovation and
nurturing the growth of new, homegrown enterprises.
3. Opportunity Areas Strategies
Centreville Business Park and Coursevall Building - The Centreville Business Park and the Coursevall
Building at 2977 4H Park Road represent significant private sector investments and vital economic
development assets for Centreville, comprising a total of 25,000 square feet of available office space
between them and 67,000 square feet of flex space in a single building. By itself, the office space
could accommodate an estimated 100 workers. In addition, there are 45 development ready acres in
the Centreville Business Park that would be suitable
The co-work space initiative could physically locate in this opportunity area, and would hopefully
spawn expanding businesses that choose to remain in Centreville over time. Nonetheless, the available
space should be aggressively marketed to potential tenants with substantial assistance from the Queen
Anne’s County Economic Development Office.
Downtown - Downtowns are the traditional focal point in most communities, and are a source of
identity to most residents. Centreville’s downtown is an optimum location to serve as the main activity
center, potentially offering shopping, dining and entertainment opportunities for its residents and
visitors.
The Centreville Main Street Market Analysis contains recommendations for creating a more vital and
vibrant downtown that is more appealing to residents and visitors. Specific recommendations include
recruiting more food & beverage establishments and boutique retail, hosting events for the public, and
developing more residential density.
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Whereas restaurant and retail attraction activities clearly fall within the purview of the Main Street
Manager, mixed use development opportunities exist that will require specific expertise in economic
and real estate development. The consultant recommends that the following downtown opportunity
sites undergo strategic planning to optimize the value of their real estate assets and ensure their future
adheres to the community’s overarching vision:
• Pennsylvania Avenue Site: — The Town of Centreville owns a parcel of land fronting
Pennsylvania Avenue between East Water Street and Kidwell Avenue, within three blocks of
Courthouse Square. This desirable piece of real estate has the potential for mixed use
development that could accommodate both residential and employment supporting uses. It is
important that the Town take control of the predevelopment process so they will have the
ability to conduct future negotiations with developers from a position of strength. One of the
most common methods of controlling development is to first create a development strategy
through a systematic and methodical process that establishes a public policy for the subject
property. RKG recommends that the Town prepare a small area plan for the property that
includes an evaluation of the potential for various land uses on the site before it moves
forward with any developer solicitation activities. Proceeds from the eventual sale of the
property could potentially be directed into an economic development incentive fund, similar to
how the county seeded their own economic development incentive fund.
• FBI Annex Building (attached to Post Office) — The Federal Building at the corner of E. Water
Street and Happy Lady Lane comprises a single story post office and a two story office
building that is now vacant, but was formerly an FBI field office. The Town Council has already
reached out to a Federal representative’s office to inquire about the possibility of a lease or
acquisition of the building by the Town. By controlling this key property, the Town can gain an
important economic development asset that it can use to leverage economic development
initiatives, such as the aforementioned co-work space.
• Vacant Properties Within the Main Street District — The draft Centreville, MD Main Street
Market Analysis prepared in May 2015 identifies 17 vacant locations among 135 within
Centreville’s Main Street District. If the recruitment of more food & beverage and retail
establishments is to be a key element to the Main Street plan, RKG Associates recommends
that these properties be assessed and inventoried based on their individual characteristics and
appropriateness to accommodate the proposed uses. The findings of this exercise will inform
the identification of suitable retail properties and the amount of effort that may be required
to re-tenant them.
County Complex/YMCA Residual Property – The probability exists that the County will seek to
dispose of excess road frontage property that will come available during or after the development of
its new complex on Ruthsburg Road (MD Rt. 304). In order to plot the course of future development
and otherwise exert some control over how the property is developed in the future, the Town should
draft the zoning of the property in advance of any public/private transfers.
U.S. Rt. 301/ MD Rt. 304 Interchange Area – The 2009 Centreville Community Plan (Plan) shows the
area east of U.S Route 301 at the 301/304 intersection as a County Planned Business Park. The State
of Maryland has committed $52 million to construct an overpass/interchange at the intersection.
Assuming that the Town of Centreville will eventually annex this area (shown in Figure 12 of the Plan),
the Town should encourage the County to initiate the preparation of a Master Plan for the area that
emphasizes the development of employment supporting uses. The area’s transportation assets make it
particularly suited for logistics operations, given the presence of a major U.S. highway and rail access.
The area is served by the Maryland and Delaware Railroad, which ties into the Norfolk Southern
system in New Castle County, Delaware, and serves the Port of Wilmington.
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U.S. Rt. 301/ MD Rt. 213 Interchange Area – Also in the Plan, Figure 10, Existing Town and County
Zoning Districts, shows a County designation of Light Industrial Highway Service (LIHS) zoning in the
area around the 301/213 interchange. Figure 12 in the Plan implies the eventual annexation of the
northwest and northeast quadrants of the interchange by the Town, with Greenbelt as the designated
land use. The southwest and southeast quadrants are shown to remain in the County. It is recommended
that the entire interchange area be considered for a future highway oriented commercial growth area,
combining commercial uses with a greenbelt buffer to create an attractive gateway that beckons
passersby to stop and linger in Centreville.
Due to their relative accessibility, highway interchanges are natural environments for land uses such as
lodging, convenience retail, and food & beverage establishments. Although the market may not
support all of these uses as viable at present, the Town should view this area as an opportunity site
with the potential to capture tourist and visitor demand in the future. The current LIHS zoning should be
maintained, and consideration should be given to eventually creating a master plan for the area that
supports hospitality and tourism. A master plan will also present an opportunity for Centreville to
create a unique place that stands out among the random and seemingly haphazard development that
characterizes many interchanges.
4. Infrastructure Planning
The Town of Centreville’s Department of Public Works manages and maintains the Town’s
infrastructure, including its water and sewer utility services. Public Works currently estimates that
planned and potential build-out of real property within the Town limits will bring wastewater
treatment capacity to the 90% level, 10% higher than the 80% threshold required to trigger planning
for capital improvements to increase capacity. Although this assessment may be accurate, there is some
question as to whether the documentation exists to verify the projected capacity estimates.
It is recommended that the Town continue with updating its assessment of capacity projections based
on current development projects in the planning pipeline, and include reasonable development
scenarios for undeveloped tracts such as the Pennsylvania Avenue property and the Turpin Farm. In
addition, a build-out scenario for the undeveloped acreage in the Centreville Business Park that
includes a 45-unit Continuing Care Facility should be factored in.
5. Target Industries
Manufacturing – Queen Anne’s County’s two largest manufacturing companies are Paul Reed Smith
Guitars in Stevensville (250-499 employees) and Delmarva Sash and Door in Barclay (200-499
employees). The County’s manufacturing base is more diverse than its two major employers would
suggest, with medium and small companies across the manufacturing spectrum. An examination of
2013 County Business Patterns data for Queen Anne’s County shows five companies employing 124
employees in fabricated metal manufacturing, and five companies employing over 100 employees in
food manufacturing, to cite two examples.
The QACDED should, to the extent possible, work to ensure that existing businesses can attract and
retain an adequate supply of labor, have sufficient infrastructure to grow their operations, and obtain
available financial inducements. Promoting use of the MDDE rail line, which has access to the Port of
Wilmington, Delaware could also help to attract and grow production facilities in Centreville.
Value Added Ag-Related Business – According to the 2012 USDA-NASS Census of Agriculture,
Queen Anne’s County ranked fifth out of 13 counties in the State for vegetables, melons, potatoes and
sweet potatoes production. The 2013 U.S. Census County Business Patterns identifies a fruit and
vegetable canning operation in Queen Anne’s County employing between 20 and 50 workers, which
appears to have been established in 2005 or 2006, showing the viability of value added agricultural
production in Centreville. And although aquaculture is not identified in the Census of Agriculture as a
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commodity group in the County, a seafood product
preparation and packaging concern has been operating in
the County since 2006, also employing between 20 and 50
workers. These examples show that value added production
that capitalizes on farm production can be supported in the The Town and QACDED should
local economy and should be pursued and supported. remain alert to emerging ag-
related technologies and the
Health Care – Ambulatory health care services employed attendant potential for
over 500 in the County in 2013. Of course, Shore Health is business creation, such as the
the County’s primary urgent care center, but the sector also work being undertaken by
includes private physicians, dentists, optometrists, etc., as well MidAtlantic Microbials (MAM).
as nursing and residential care facilities. Corsica Hills Center MAM, with offices in
is located in Centreville and offers short-stay nursing and Centreville and a grant from
rehabilitation services as well as traditional long term care Queen Anne’s County, is
and Alzheimer’s dementia care. The continuing care focused on the process of
retirement community described in this section would include transitioning the large volume
a nursing care facilities component. of chicken manure on the
Eastern Shore (some 275,000
Initial opportunities for growth in healthcare jobs are to work tons yearly) into a robust
with existing providers to identify primary and specialty microbial rich compost and soil
services currently not offered in Centreville or Queen Anne’s amendment. The challenges
County. Another opportunity relates to the area’s retirement associated with the disposal of
population. The growing senior population will increase the waste from the Eastern Shore’s
demand for continuing care facilities and medical services as significant poultry industry are
they age in place. Along with increasing geriatric care, there well documented, and the
may be other opportunities to expand specialized treatment MAM process holds promise
facilities based on further strategic planning with area for providing an
healthcare leaders. environmentally sound way to
manage the issue of waste
Logistics – Although the transportation and warehousing disposal and fertilizer use
sector dropped from 258 workers in 2004 to 210 in 2013, while supporting one of
the 301/304 interchange area presents Centreville with the Maryland’s most important
opportunity to plan a future logistics cluster. Since this area is industries. The success of an
served by both highway and rail with access to the Port of enterprise of this nature has
Wilmington, Delaware, value added production and shipping significant implications for the
is also a viable target. Logistics often works hand in hand Town, County, Eastern Shore,
with production, and the presence of even a simple and the State of Maryland.
intermodal transfer facility (a crane that moves containers
between trucks and rail cars) could induce the attraction of
logistics, value added logistics, and value added production
operations to this area.
6. Incentive Programs
The Town of Centreville could be in the position to offer both discretionary monetary and non-
monetary incentives to attract and retain desirable businesses.
Real Property Tax Credit – Real property tax credits are used as monetary incentives to attract
businesses to a specific jurisdiction. The County currently offers real property tax credits for certain
businesses under specific requirements, based on enabling legislation enacted by the State of
Maryland. These tax credits could be offered to businesses in Centreville, and the potential exists for
Centreville to offer a similar program, although not specifically authorized under the current ordinance
(§ 9-319(d) of the Tax Property Article, Annotated Code of Maryland). It is recommended that the
Town’s attorney be consulted with regard to the applicability of the ordinance to a similar incentive
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that could be offered by the Town, and would potentially piggy-back onto the County incentive. A
description of the Queen Anne’s County’s real property tax credit program is as follows:
• To be eligible for the tax credit, a business must make significant real property improvements
to a nonresidential structure that, when completed, increases the full fair market value of a
property, as determined by the Department of Assessments and Taxation by at least
$25,000.
• A business may apply for the credit to the Department of Finance. The Department of
Economic Development then evaluates the application under criteria established by it and
recommends to the County Commissioners that the application be denied or approved.
• The business must establish to the satisfaction of the Department of Economic Development that
it will create a minimum of 12 new full-time positions within 36 months of completion of
construction.
• In each fiscal year following the fiscal year in which significant real property improvements
are completed and assessed, a tax credit against the County property tax imposed on real
property shall be granted in the following amounts:
80% of the amount of the County property tax imposed on the increased assessment
o
in the first taxable year;
60% of the amount of the County property tax imposed on the increased assessment
o
in the second taxable year;
40% of the amount of the County property tax imposed on the increased assessment
o
in the third taxable year;
20% of the amount of the County property tax imposed on the increased assessment
o
in the fourth taxable year;
0% of the amount of the County property tax imposed on the increased assessment in
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the fifth taxable year and all taxable years after the fifth taxable year.
Water and Sewer Allocation Fee Waivers – The Town of Centreville currently charges allocation fees
of $5,097 for water and $8,677 for sewer service by the meter, for a total of $13,774. The town
could, at its discretion, waive these fees in order to incentivize the development of desirable,
employment supporting land uses. It is likely that the Town would actually reimburse the Public Works
enterprise fund in the event these fees are waived, so the fiscal and economic benefits of a new
business enterprise would have to be weighed against the municipal costs on a case by case basis to
determine eligibility. An alternative to a fee waiver is an option to pay the fee in installments over a
period of years, effectively easing front loaded capital costs for the investor.
Regulatory Streamlining - The development approval process is universally objectionable to the
development community. In addition to the regulatory constraints, the process oftentimes is a long and
arduous exercise. Agencies tasked with the development review process can often be inadvertently
working at cross purposes to the town’s economic development interests.
Many communities have successfully adopted streamlined development review processes for high
impact, targeted industries that are relocating or expanding in their jurisdictions. These communities
have taken extra steps to help ensure businesses have a first-rate experience when going through the
development review/permitting process. Those municipalities have adopted cross agency streamlined
permitting ordinances or resolutions, often have an online permit tracking system, and have designated
a staff representative as a "concierge" to businesses who are going through the permitting process.
A common denominator in most successful development streamlining programs is the development
concierge, an individual focused on providing property owners and investors technical and process-
oriented assistance when going through the Town’s development process. Whether it is a rezoning or
variance request, the concierge program is intended to assist applicants in effectively and efficiently
finding a resolution.
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7. Evaluation of Candidates for Incentives
Specific criteria dictate under what circumstances a business can qualify for a Queen Anne’s County
tax credit, and are likely to apply to a Town tax credit program as well. Under these circumstances,
the Town can assist with County efforts to attract desirable businesses to Centreville, while adhering to
the specific criteria for awarding the tax credit. However, if the Town decides to offer sewer and
water allocation fees waivers as a business attraction inducements, they may want to exercise more
latitude and impose less restrictions when awarding incentives.
Every U.S. state offers recruitment incentives, as do most local communities, often in direct competition
with each other within the same region. Sewer and water allocation fee waivers can be used as a
marketing tool or as a negotiation tool for completing a deal. In either case, the Town must quantify
the costs and benefits of a given project, taking an investment approach to the use of the incentive. For
Centreville, fiscal returns will come in the form of real property taxes which are imposed at a rate of
0.38 per $100 of assessed value, which would yield $38,000 annually for every $10 million in net
new real property assessed value. Based on combined sewer/water allocation fees of $13,774 per
meter, annual revenues of $38,000 would cover the costs of 2.76 meters.
Businesses being courted to locate to Centreville should be evaluated on a case by case basis. For
example, lodging generally offers relatively low paying jobs, but any new lodging product in
Centreville would be of great benefit to the Town in terms of its ability to accommodate business and
leisure travelers, as well as attract other land uses, such as restaurants. Suburban retail merchandising
(outside of the Main Street District) however, is not a good candidate for incentives since it typically
seeks its own natural habitat, and oftentimes substitutes one source of supply for another in a stable
market. Therefore, business incentive candidates should be evaluated based on the following criteria:
• Dollar value of proposed real property improvements;
• Sustainability of business (business history, longevity, etc.);
• Project adheres to overarching economic development objectives for a specific area, for
example:
Professional, technical, production, age in place services in the Centreville Business
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Park;
Warehouse & distribution, manufacturing in the 301/304 interchange area.
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8. Course Tracking and Benchmarking
Economic development initiatives are typically tracked using both output and performance measures.
Outputs comprise the activities associated with implementation efforts, such as contacts made, meetings
held, trade shows attended, and other related activities. Outcomes comprise results such as new capital
invested, jobs created, and businesses attracted and retained.
Since Centreville has just recently taken a proactive approach to its economic development, its first
priority should be to track the economic development efforts conducted on its behalf, including the
specific recommendations contained in this document. The representation of the County’s economic
development director on the CEDA board, and a CEDA representative on the EDC, will provide the
opportunities for CEDA to stay apprised of implementation actions and other activities being
undertaken by the EDC.
With regard to the tracking of performance measures, a longer term outlook and patience is advised
while momentum is created through a renewed economic development effort. Many of the factors
influencing outcomes will be beyond the control of economic development officials and stakeholders,
but limited control is preferable to no control. While a deliberate and organized economic
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Centreville, Maryland September 2015
development effort may not be solely responsible for capital investment, job creation and business
attraction, it will have a role in influencing the results.
A sure sign of economic vitality is an increase in occupancies for existing office, retail, and industrial
buildings, which is quantifiable outcome and typically goes hand in hand with job creation. Boosting
the tax base is another key measurable outcome, and is a natural result of capital investment. As
Centreville’s economic development effort gains inertia and begins to yield tangible results, three key
metrics can be tracked in order to evaluate progress:
• Increased occupancies in office, retail and industrial space;
• Jobs attracted/created/supported; and,
• Capital investment.
9. Ongoing CEDA Activities
The completion of this Economic Development Plan and a Market Analysis and Implementation Plan for
the Centreville Main Street District, the Town is now in possession of a set of blueprints which will guide
its economic development activities for the next five to ten years. As the official body tasked with the
responsibilities of advancing economic development, CEDA will oversee the implementation of action
items contained in the two documents, with assistance of the Town’s Main Street Manager, the
QACDED, and, possibly, a Town Economic Development Manager. Based on the findings and
recommendations contained in the documents, CEDA has formally committed to undertake the following
concurrent and sequential activities:
• Continue to track implementation efforts and call out measures of success and accountability;
• Conduct periodic reviews of real estate regulations and regulations regarding the formation
and conduct of businesses to identify, and otherwise mitigate, unnecessary impediments to
business development. This should include the review and evaluation of relevant external
regulations in collaboration with County and State economic development agencies;
• Address how regulatory streamlining water and sewer allocation fee waivers can be most
effectively implemented to attract desirable businesses;
• Maintain a proactive approach to plan for future water/ sewer capacity, particularly as
critical masses of new development are brought on line;
• Inventory available business supporting building space and development ready land;
• Clarify and build consensus for intended land uses at the and U.S. Rt. 301/MD Rt. 304 and
U.S. Rt. 301/MD Rt. 213 interchange and corridor areas to guide future master planning;
• Recommend pursuing school and workforce development training academy operations;
• Create and maintain a pride of place and build community buy-in for economic development
and downtown revitalization initiatives;
• Call for creation of a comprehensive Town-wide marketing plan and brand identity;
• Encourage and support more improvements to Downtown properties;
• Develop and promote façade improvement tax incentives;
• Utilize more stringent code enforcement to proactively address blighted properties;
• Recommend low cost and near term financial and non-financial incentives to improve visual
appeal;
• Explore and support the development of tourism experiences that capitalize on existing
tourism and visitation on the Eastern Shore and the Town’s cultural and natural assets.
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