SALISBURY, Md. - A parking lot in Downtown Salisbury is drawing a lot of attention. That's because officials have started negotiating with a company to redevelop the space.
Lot 10 is right off of poplar hill avenue and behind the District Court building. Cars still utilize the space. However, Mayor Jake Day and the City Council are looking to bring more community access to the area.
Salisbury Councilwoman, Michele Gregory, tells WBOC it's unclear on what would occupy the current parking lot but she hopes it brings in more people and business opportunities to the city.
“I believe the folks who will be developing it have some ideas in mind. I'm hoping to see some more retail open up and also possibly a hotel or residential space. We're really excited to see the downtown area grow,” says Gregory.
“The amount of investments that has been put into revitalizing downtown is really important that we make space for people who live, work, and play downtown. This is going to be part of that.”
Mike Daly is the General Manager at Mogan's Oyster House in Downtown Salisbury.
Daly says bringing something new to the area is a win and could help out small businesses.
“I think bringing young professionals to a downtown area via residency is an amazing thing. It's going to infuse more money into the local economy. These wonderful spots that are opening up downtown is just more foot traffic for the restaurants, theater, and bars,” says Daly.
It's still unclear when construction would start but council members say this parking lot has attracted a lot in interest since it was declared surplus property in 2016.
The developer of the future project is Mentis Capital Partners who is the founder and CEO is also behind a multi-story building construction on east main street in Downtown Salisbury.