SALISBURY, Md. - The city of Salisbury is working to revitalize the city's downtown. One of the ways that has been pitched to breathe new life into downtown is to redevelop some of the parking lots in that part of the city. A developer has stepped forward with a plan that the two sides are seriously considering.
The proposal calls for getting rid of parking lots 1 and 11 in downtown Salisbury and turning the area into retail space, new apartments and even a hotel.
"I think anything you can do to draw people is the best thing to do. So, parking lots aren't going to draw them. Shopping is, hotels are, it's a good thing," said Rudy Latta, a Federalsburg native but who makes very frequent trips to Salisbury.
The city has entered into a negotiation period with Harkins Downtown LLC to hammer out the details of the proposal. The plan would also include the building of two more parking garages.
But not everyone is on board.
"They put up the new shopping areas and garages and stuff and it is going to end up costing us money as taxpayers. And it is also going to cost us more to park. Here it's pretty much free or very minimal costs so I think it works well the way it is," said Jason Boyd of Salisbury.
While others are in favor of bringing new business and jobs to Salisbury but do not believe redeveloping those particular parking lots is the best place to do it.
"I think we have enough hotels and shops down here in downtown Salisbury. I think they need to build up where they haven't built up. Possibly around the old Salisbury mall," said Tiffany Lewis of Salisbury.
The city and Harkins Downtown LLC have six months to come to an agreement, which will include the amount of private and public funds that are needed to make this proposal become a reality.
