We are Building a Strong, Vibrant, Exciting Community in Essex, Maryland
At the beginning of the 20th century, Essex was a bustling town with a substantial commercial corridor. Its inhabitants were largely successful blue-collar workers. Big corporations like Bethlehem Steel and Lockheed Martin encouraged the economic landscape, and it was not uncommon for residents to frequent the shops and services located on the streets in the town center of Essex.
Many residents had waterfront homes or summer homes on the waterfront. With its yacht clubs and marinas, it was a popular destination for the sailing set! Smart Asset, a financial technology company, ranked Essex as one of the 50 MOST AFFORABLE WATERFRONT TOWNS IN THE U.S. in 2020.
When the industry left the area, the jobs naturally dwindled. The possibility of living and working in Essex no longer felt like the American Dream. People became discouraged and started to leave their waterfront Summer homes. At the same time, the average working family could no longer afford to live in Essex when they lost their jobs. The domino effect began, and folks began shopping in modern fancy malls instead of supporting local businesses in Downtown Essex.
In 1979, some business leaders who wanted to revitalize the area founded Essex Development Corporation (EDCO). Some of the original board members are still serving Essex through EDCO. Despite the enthusiasm of a few well-intentioned people, it was tough for the group to bring about the needed change.
So, the Essex revitalization project began without much support or permission. Eight years ago, the two local business owners, Cliff O’Connell and Sam Weaver, noticed the struggle to reclaim Essex and joined in the effort to bring about change. Things really started happening when Robert (Bob) Remodka got involved. After all, Bob had his name on nearby Franklin Square Hospital and was well known as an economic leader in the area. Once Bob began to champion the Essex revitalization, the project took off.
One of the first projects was to renovate the cafeteria at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School and repurpose it for the community to use. After that, the beautification phase started small and gained momentum.
People started seeing benches and trash cans throughout the area. They noticed banners along Eastern Blvd. The installation of planters and pots gave Essex a more vibrant look.
In 2022, we started to address the elephant in the room. When entering Essex, people found a stark, cubist structure greeting them. The austere piece was a throwback to the days of the factories and needed a more relevant and welcoming update. First, we removed the huge cubes and replaced them with a more welcoming sculpture, including a lighthouse in its design. The new sculpture expressed a friendly, hopeful message to greet visitors to the area and became a familiar greeting to residents.
While these changes may not seem to constitute the needed transformation, we did get notice from county executives and other parties who had the power to promote the cause and help secure grant funds for Essex. With funds in hand, it was time to get laser-focused on revitalization.
Gaining funding was the encouragement needed to fine-tune the organization and include oversight, facilitated by Chrissy Erb, who came on board in January 2023. Adding Chrissy to the board made Essex CDC a full-featured organization with 501c3 status. The organization includes Essex business and property owners, school and community leaders, representatives from area institutions, and Baltimore County Government staff. We are working together and ready to do the necessary hard work to bring lasting change to the Essex area.
We added an advisory committee, which included stakeholders in the community. They met to discuss and implement additional improvements to the area. The vision to transform Essex once again into the thriving urban center it once was includes plans to develop:
- Community Events
- Facade Improvements
- Retail Gap Analysis
- Traffic Studies
- Movie Nights
- Live Music of all Types
- Security Camera Program
- Business Networking Events
Essex has the infrastructure it needs to support this growth. The area already has a train station and a Skypark airport. It is home to Eastern Tech, a top-rated high school! With a hospital nearby and ample transportation, Essex is open for business and ready to grow!
You can be part of this exciting moment in Essex history! We are looking for individuals and businesses that are excited about joining the project! Please contact us today to learn more.
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