SALISBURY, Md.- The Salisbury City Council on Monday discussed a plan called the Horizon program that it plans to move forward.
The program would give developers a tax incentives over 20 years time for developing major residential and hotel projects downtown.
Bill Chambers, president and CEO of the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce says it's something the city has needed for quite some time.
"We need to have this in place to attract the development that is occurring because of the COVID outrush of urban metropolis," said Chambers.
The idea has gotten some push back from some in the community.
"Some of the push back is that some people refer to it as a tax break, but you have to remember nothing changes in terms of the property taxes we're getting now, people have to invest up to at least $10 million dollars or more and then that additional value is then added to the value of the property. That's when the tax break would be and it's only temporary," said Bill McCain, Wicomico County Councilman-at-Large.
Deadstock Shoe Store on Market Street has been open for six years now.
The shoe store's manager says new apartments would bring the foot traffic they need to keep business going.
"Bringing more to the downtown area -- bringing more people -- it grants the opportunity for a lot of these privately-owned businesses, small businesses to build our customer bases. Being that this is a community that we pour so much into, I think that it would help a lot of us," said Charlie MaKoa, the store's retail manager, who's been there roughly three years.
Mike Daly of Mogan's Oyster House agrees that it's all about opportunity.
"The opportunity to build the community and Salisbury in general as a cultural and economic center is going to be a benefit to anybody that's around here. So anything we can do to help build up around here, we're absolutely in favor of. We look to forward to serving a growing community," said Daly.
The city says there is at least one developer already looking to take advantage of the program.
