The BPW considered and approved the following requests and recommendations at its meeting on December 13, 2023:

Allegany County

• A request from the Department of Housing and Community Development for approval to provide a $2,820,000 loan under the Rental Housing Works Program which finances rental housing that will be occupied by individuals with incomes at or below 60% of the area median income. The loan will be made to JFK Apartments, LP to assist in the rehabilitation of a 100-unit general occupancy rental community located at 135 N. Mechanic Street, Cumberland. The project will offer a mix of affordable studio and one-bedroom floorplans targeting low-income households earning between 30 and 60 percent of the Area Median Income (Item 12 of the Secretary’s Agenda); and
• A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $152,000 from the Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure funding to repair and resurface the exterior walls and interior surface of the Borden Tunnel on the Great Allegheny Passage Rail Trail (Item 1A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda).

Baltimore City

• A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $3,400,000 from the Program Open Space funding allocated to Baltimore City for a gym addition to the fieldhouse, to relocate and place two basketball courts, and other site improvements at Bocek Park (Item 2A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda);
• A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $20,000 grant to the Board of Trustees of the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the 1241 N. Linwood Avenue property community art installation. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2023 Capital Budget (Item 1 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda);
• A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $100,000 grant to the Board of Directors of Filbert Street Garden, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the Filbert Street Garden property, including ADA compliant bathrooms and a processing/teaching kitchen. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2022 Capital Budget (Item 6 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda);
• A request to enter into grant agreements for grants totaling $1,300,000 to the Board of Directors of the Arena Players, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the Arena Players theater. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2022 and 2020 Capital Budgets (Item 2 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda);
• A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $630,000 grant to the Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of the State of Maryland for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of infrastructure improvements to the MedChi Museum. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2023 Capital Budget (Item 12 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda); and
• A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $100,000 grant to the Board of Directors of the Delta Lambda Foundation, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the Delta Lambda Foundation Outreach Foundation. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2023 Capital Budget (Item 13 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda).

Baltimore County

• A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $300,000 grant to the Islamic Society of Baltimore, MD, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the Smart Playground property. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2022 Capital Budget (Item 8 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda).

Carroll County

• A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $400,000 grant to the Board of Directors of the Carroll County Agricultural Center, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the Carroll County Agriculture Center. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2022 Capital Budget (Item 4 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda).

Cecil County

• A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $500,000 grant to the Board of Directors of NorthBay Education, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the infrastructure improvements to the NorthBay Environmental Education Center. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2023 Capital Budget (Item 3 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda).

Harford County

• A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit $150,000 in funding from the Community Parks and Playground Program to design and construct additional pickleball courts with associated amenities at the Havre de Grace Community Center (Item 3A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda); and
• A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $350,000 grant to the Board of Directors of the Harford County Chapter Izaak Walton League of America, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the IWLA Conservation and Education Center. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2021 Capital Budget (Item 9 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda).

Howard County

• A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $200,000 grant to the Board of Directors of the Community Action Council of Howard County, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the Long Reach Early Childhood Center. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2021 Capital Budget (Item 10 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda).

Montgomery County

• A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $134,552 grant to the Board of Directors of Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture, Inc. for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the Glen Echo Park parking lot. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2022 Capital Budget (Item 7 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda); and
• A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit a total of $250,000 ($53,529 Program Open Space Local Funding and $196,471 Community Parks and Playgrounds) to create Yeandle Park on donated property for passive recreation (Item 4A of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda).

Prince George’s County

• A recommendation from the Department of General Services to grant a one-year extension to Luminis Health from the automatic termination of $54,000 in capital grant funds for Doctor’s Community Hospital. The Grantee did not meet the two-year deadline before the authorization terminated and needs additional time to complete the grant application and provide the matching fund. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2021 Capital Budget (Item 16 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda);
• A request to enter into grant agreements for the following non-matching grants to the Board of Directors of the College Park City – University Partnership, Inc:
  • $2,500,000 for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the Hiker Biker Trail project along Campus Drive. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2023 Capital Budget (Item 5 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda);
  • $250,000 for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of the walkways along the Paint Branch Trail and Baltimore Avenue Bridge underpass. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2020 Capital Budget (Item 14 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda); and
  • $200,000 for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of College Park Trail Connections. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2021 Capital Budget (Item 15 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda).

Washington County

• A request from the Maryland Department of the Environment for new grant funding up to $796,708 from the Bay Restoration Fund to the Town of Hancock for its’ Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Enhanced Nutrient Removal (ENR) Upgrade project. This will consolidate the existing Hancock WWTP and the Lanco WWTP, eliminating the discharge point at the Lanco Facility. The project is expected to reduce nutrients to Tonoloway Creek and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay. This Board action is for the cost of engineering services related to the design of this new facility (Item 14 of the Secretary’s Agenda); and
• A request to enter into a grant agreement for a $1,000,000 grant to the Mayor and Town Council of the Town of Smithsburg for the acquisition, planning, design, construction, repair, renovation, reconstruction, site improvement, and capital equipping of improvements to Water Street. There is no matching fund requirement for this grant. The General Assembly previously approved this funding as part of the 2022 Capital Budget (Item 11 of the Department of General Services’ Office of State Procurement Agenda).

Worcester County

• A request from the Department of Natural Resources to commit a total of $120,000 from Program Open Space funding allocated to Worcester County for the following projects:
  • John Walter Smith Park: $60,000 to renovate the bathrooms (Item 5A.1 of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda); and
  • Newtown Park: $60,000 to renovate the bathrooms (Item 5A.2 of the Department of Natural Resources’ Real Property Agenda).