Lower Shore local, state, and federal officials, business owners, and civic leaders joined together to formerly welcome the Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore to its new headquarters in Salisbury. Formed by an act of the Maryland General Assembly in 2001, the Tri-County Council facilitates regional planning and development for Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties.  The Daily Times reports that the $10 million multipurpose center consolidates a number of services provide through the council including the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulations One-Stop Job Market, Shore Transit public commuter service, and the Lower Shore Workforce Alliance.

Also in attendance at the event were U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development Secretary Christian Johansson.

“This is big news for the Lower Shore,” said Cardin, who was a featured speaker at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Securing grant funding for the new council campus was “not easy to get in a tough economic climate,” he also said.

Citing ongoing achievements, Cardin noted the Tri-County Council’s designation as an Economic Development District by the Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, saying the designation better positions the agency competitively. He also applauded the spirit of cooperation among municipal and county elected officials or paid administrators in the three counties who serve on the Council.

“Getting three counties to work together is tremendous,” Cardin said. “This is big.”

Johansson sees the Tri-County Council’s role as pivotal in identifying businesses to receive InvestMaryland capital expected to be available starting July 1.

“The Tri-County Council is a strategic partner in economic development, and it’ll be one group with a critical role in identifying businesses,” Johansson said, adding that a business incubation support arm is at the new council headquarters. “You never know where a new innovation will come from.”