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Our Newsletter:
We're well on our way to achieving our goal of 7 by 7: seven incubators in Montgomery County by 2007. In addition to Wheaton, new incubators are planned for East County, Rockville and Germantown. For more details, please contact 240-777-2000 or Jerry.Goodwin@montgomerycountymd.gov -Local Restaurant Serves Again! Anchor Inn Donated to Habitat for Humanity March 1, 2006 The property owner, Anchor Inn Properties, LLC, a subsidiary of local real estate developer Greenhill Capital Corporation, has donated all of the Anchor Inn contents to Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County Maryland, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to the reduction of substandard housing by providing a hand-up to help families realize the dream of home ownership. Working in partnership with families, Habitat volunteers build affordable housing in Montgomery County. Habitat has already removed the building contents, and will use elements of the building structure as well. Over a year ago, the Anchor Inn restaurant in Wheaton closed its doors, its proprietors leaving the area. But now the Anchor Inn is serving again, this time not entrees but giving back to the community who patronized it for so long. Greenhill has also given Wheaton Fire and Rescue permission to conduct emergency training on the Anchor Inn site. One day soon, Greenhill will demolish what remains of the building, in preparation for its redevelopment of the site. -Duncan Urges Small Businesses to Register for Local Reserve Program Online qualifying and registering at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/LSBRP January 4, 2006 Emphasizing the importance of Montgomery County’s small business community, County Executive Douglas M. Duncan today urged businesses to register for the County’s new Local Small Business Reserve Program (LSBRP). Qualifying and registering for the program can be done online at the LSBRP’s brand new website, www.montgomerycountymd.gov/LSBRP. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and we have always made it a top priority to do whatever we can to help them grow and prosper,” said County Executive Duncan. “The success of this program is dependant on the numbers of local companies we can get qualified and registered. This new website is user friendly and will walk the business people through the process and answer any questions they may have. We will continue our outreach efforts to try and ensure the local business community is fully aware of this new program.” The LSBRP program, which went into effect January 1, 2006, ensures that all County departments set aside (with specified exceptions), a minimum of 10 percent of procurements for small businesses. In addition, it also provides for the web site posting of procurement opportunities and the on-going marketing and evaluation of the Program. The Program defines small businesses based on specific industry. For example: wholesale businesses less than 15 employees or $2 million in gross sales; retail businesses less than 15 employees or $2.5 million; manufacturing companies less than 20 employees or $7 million; service companies less than 25 employees or $2.5 million; and Construction companies less than 25 employees or $7 millions. Businesses must be independently owned and physically located only in Montgomery County. Broker and subsidiary businesses are not eligible for this Program. Companies will be able to determine if they qualify by answering the questions on the website when they go to register. The Program is self-certifying, meaning that registration is based on information the businesses provide. The burden of responsibility rests with firms registering. Providing false information is likely to result in contract termination and ineligibility for future contracting with the County. After a business successfully registers for the Program, it will immediately receive an e-mail informing it that it has successfully self-certified its firm for the Program. The business must have at minimum this verification to bid on County work designated “Local Small Business Reserve Program”. Individual County Departments will decide what work is to be designated within this program. The new LSBPR web site will have links to all procurement opportunities posted on the County’s Procurement Office website. Companies will be required to re-register each year to ensure that they still meet the program qualifications. For more information and to register for the program, go to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/LSBRP or call the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development at 240-777-2000. -Wheaton Designated Arts and Entertainment District by State December 6, 2005 Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan today announced that Wheaton has been designated by the State of Maryland as an Arts and Entertainment District, joining Silver Spring and Bethesda as the third district in Montgomery County to receive the distinction. “I’m delighted that Wheaton has been named an Arts and Entertainment District,” said Duncan. “I have made the revitalization of Wheaton a priority of my administration, and this designation is a very important piece of that project. This is a well-deserved honor for Wheaton, especially given its diverse mix of ethnic restaurants, expanding arts community and, of course, the world-renowned Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center.” The Arts and Entertainment District designation provides artists working in that area with an income tax break. Developers who create spaces for artists to live and work can be exempt from paying certain property taxes on the value of the renovations for up to 10 years. Designated districts are exempt from admissions and amusement taxes. Montgomery County’s Ad Hoc Arts and Entertainment District Advisory Panel, chaired by David Edgerley, director of the Department of Economic Development, held a public hearing in July and approved forwarding the Wheaton application to the State. The application, which was submitted to the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development in early October, cited Wheaton’s strategic location, cultural diversity, exceptional accessibility and affordability. The six-member County Executive-appointed Arts and Entertainment Task Force, which includes representatives of the downtown’s business and residential community, and an Arts Network group of more than 70 members, have been set up to identify local arts and entertainment resources and develop ideas to enhance the downtown’s arts base. “One of our major goals for Wheaton is to revitalize and redevelop this unique commercial center into a 24/7 downtown destination. It will be a place people and businesses from all cultures and areas come together in a festive, friendly, safe and inclusive environment to enjoy arts and entertainment, specialty retail, ethnic restaurants and Wheaton’s other amenities,” said Midcounty Regional Services Center Director Natalie Cantor. “The State’s designation of Wheaton as an Arts and Entertainment District will help us accomplish this important goal. We look forward to welcoming new artists and entertainers, to a downtown already recognized for its one-of-a-kind atmosphere.” For more information, call the Wheaton Redevelopment Program at 240-777-8126. Members |
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