News Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Warfield at Historic Sykesville

Company Hopes to Bring Life Back to Historic Area

posted by: Steven D. McCleaf

2nd February 2022

BY MADISON BATEMAN | Carroll County Times | January 25, 2022

Springfield Hospital Center in Sykesville to be repurposed into residential, office and park space

The Warfield Companies received a $15 million state tax credit for its ongoing project to redevelop the historic Warfield Complex, a former state hospital site in Sykesville, into a mixed-use community. Dylan Slagle/Carroll County Times

The historic Springfield Hospital Center in Sykesville will soon be rehabilitated and repurposed into a residential and commercial hub, serving the local community while also preserving county open space.The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development this week announced Warfield Companies would be the first recipient of Maryland’s Catalytic Revitalization Tax Credit, designed to help fund rehabilitation of formerly government-owned properties for economic and community development purposes.

The company received a $15 million state tax credit for its ongoing project to redevelop a former mental health facility in Sykesville and the surrounding area into a mixed-use community. Warfield at Historic Sykesville is anchored by historic buildings dating to the late 19th and early 20th centuries and was used by the Springfield Hospital Center until the early 2000s. Formerly owned by the state, the 12 buildings carry historical designations from the National Park Service and Maryland Historical Trust.

Three of the historic buildings have already been restored and are occupied by commercial tenants. The remaining nine buildings will be repurposed in a variety of ways to meet the needs of future tenants, with some combination of residential, office, light industrial, retail and park space.
This project is expected to include a housing component, as well as a multipurpose space that will serve local residents.

“The redevelopment at Warfield presents a once in a lifetime opportunity for the people of Sykesville to preserve a piece of their heritage by transforming the former Springfield Hospital Center into a residential and commercial hub that will enhance the local community, while preserving prime and productive
Carroll County farmland and open space,” Kenneth C. Holt, secretary of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, said in a news release.

Passed in the 2021 General Assembly session and signed into law by Gov. Larry Hogan, Senate Bill 885 created the Catalytic Revitalization Tax Credit. The bill was sponsored by state Sen. Katie Fry Hester, a Democrat who represents District 9 in Carroll and Howard counties.
The credit is designed to support the rehabilitation and renovation of properties formerly owned by the state or federal governments, including colleges or universities, public schools, hospitals, mental health facilities and military facilities or installations. These properties usually have been vacant for a significant time and often require mitigation of various environmental and health hazards.

“I am thrilled that a community in my district will benefit, and serve as a model for other projects around the state,” Hester wrote in an op-ed to the Carroll County Times. “In Warfield’s example, economic projections indicate a fiscal benefit of $29 million over 20 years for our local schools, health department and the Town of Sykesville. … These millions of dollars represent new revenues generated that can be reinvested in the local community or directed to keep taxes low. Furthermore, the project is expected to create approximately 233 permanent and 69 temporary jobs and generate roughly $40.8 million in economic output over the next 20 years.”

The tax credit was a recommended action that came from a study conducted by the Maryland Department of Planning and is designed to fill financing gaps between the cost of rehabilitation and the market-rate value of the redeveloped property. Proposed revitalization projects related to the rehabilitation of these government-owned properties must foster economic growth, job creation, affordable housing or other community improvements and services.

“For the first time in nearly 30 years, preservation and restoration of the Warfield complex appears within reach,” Hester wrote. “Other deteriorating state properties — like Crownsville Hospital Center in Anne Arundel County, Glenn Dale Hospital in Prince George’s County, or Bainbridge in Cecil County — need help transforming into new, vibrant and socially beneficial local spaces.”

posted by: Steven D. McCleaf

31st January 2022

Sen. Katie Fry Hester: Warfield Complex can be a model for state investment in preservation projects

By Katie Fry Hester | Carroll County Times | Jan 26, 2022

Across Maryland, a number of former government complexes sit vacant, and have become a large expense for Maryland’s taxpayers. In Anne Arundel County, for example, since the Crownsville Hospital Center was closed in 2004, the state has spent more than $2 million annually to keep it mothballed, secure, and mowed — despite the fact that many of the buildings on the campus are ideal candidates for reuse. Without a plan in place or the resources to spur reuse, stories like this are all too common across the state.

Thankfully, this approach is finally about to change. This year we may see the stars align for Maryland’s historic infrastructure. In the context of a $2 billion state surplus and the recently passed federal infrastructure bill, this year we will also see the state Department of Housing and Community Development award the first Catalytic Tax Credit — aimed at spurring private sector investment in these types of resources and reducing long-term government expense. At the same time, state Sen. Cory McCray, Del. Eric Luedtke and myself have introduced legislation to increase funding for the Historic Revitalization Tax Credit Program to meet the statewide need for rehabilitating older structures — which in turn gives local economies a sustainable and long-term boost. Now is the time to invest in Maryland and leverage the embedded value of our historic buildings to catalyze our future economic growth.

posted by: Steven D. McCleaf

31st January 2022

Sen. Katie Fry Hester: Warfield Complex can be a model for state investment in preservation projects

By Katie Fry Hester | Carroll County Times | Jan 26, 2022

Shortly after my election in 2018, I became familiar with Warfield at Historic Sykesville, which is a textbook example of this plight. In 2019, I sponsored legislation requiring the Maryland Department of Planning to study the obstacles to preserving and rehabilitating these properties. Cumulatively, the recommendations in the report from this study create a strategic road map for entrepreneurial historic preservation. The primary issue identified by the study was that the cost of restoring and returning these campuses to service typically exceeds their expected market value upon rehabilitation. Neither the government nor the private sector can do this alone — a partnership is necessary — and this is what the original historic tax credit program was supposed to do.

At the height of the program, Maryland invested nearly $80 million annually. Unfortunately, Maryland capped the historic tax credit program in 2002, requiring an annual appropriation in the state’s PAYGO capital budget. Since then, this program has lost nearly 90% of its funding — last year’s budget provided only $9 million for historic preservation and rehabilitation. With each project capped at $3 million, the amount of support Maryland is able to give is embarrassingly low. For comparison, neighboring Virginia invests nearly $100 million annually in its historic tax credit program, and West Virginia funds its historic tax credit programs at $30 million.

As a result of this study, I sponsored and secured passage of Senate Bill 885 to establish the Catalytic Revitalization Tax Credit — which bridges the gap by enabling the state to issue a tax credit up to $15 million every two years to a qualifying property. Warfield at Historic Sykesville will be the first project to receive this award!

I am thrilled that a community in my district will benefit and serve as a model for other projects around the state. In Warfield’s example, economic projections indicate a fiscal benefit of $29 million over 20 years for our local schools, health department, and the Town of Sykesville. This money represents new revenue that can be reinvested in the local community or directed to keep taxes low. Furthermore, the project is expected to create approximately 233 permanent and 69 temporary jobs and generate roughly $40.8 million in economic output over the next 20 years.

For the first time in nearly 30 years, preservation and restoration of the Warfield complex appears within reach, and I believe that it has the capacity to serve as a statewide model for fiscally responsible state investment in community development. Other deteriorating state properties — like Crownsville Hospital Center, Glenn Dale Hospital in Prince George’s County, or the former Bainbridge naval base in Cecil County — need help transforming into new, vibrant, and socially beneficial local spaces.

Both the Catalytic Revitalization Tax Credit and the historic tax credit are powerful tools for investing in our communities and bolstering our economy. The economic benefits associated with preservation have been well documented. According to a report by the Abell Foundation, every $1 of tax credits issued through the Historic Revitalization Tax Credit program generates $8.13 of economic activity, and a tax credit program funded at just $15 million would spur the creation of nearly 800 jobs over its construction period.

Now is the time to recapitalize our prior investments. We’ve passed the Catalytic Revitalization Tax Credit and we can raise the cap on our historic tax credit. These programs provide a clear path to simultaneously preserve our local history, protect our environment, and revitalize our communities for the benefit of current and future Marylanders.

Sen. Katie Fry Hester, a Democrat, represents District 9 in Carroll and Howard counties.

posted by: Steven D. McCleaf

25th January 2022

Hogan Administration Announces the First Catalytic Revitalization Tax Credit Award
NEW CARROLLTON, MD (January 24, 2022) – The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development announced the first recipient of the State of Maryland’s Catalytic Revitalization Tax Credit, designed to rehabilitate formerly government-owned properties for economic and community development purposes. The Warfield Companies received a $15 million state tax credit for their ongoing project to redevelop a historic mental health facility and surrounding area in Sykesville into a mixed-use community.

posted by: Steven D. McCleaf

5th March 2021

On Wednesday, March 3, Senate Bill 885 was in front of Maryland’s Senate Budget and Tax Committee. We asked members of the community to assist in supporting the bill prior to the hearing, but this is just the beginning of the journey – there are still many ways you as a citizen can get involved to help this important legislation move forward.

The above video of the testimony for SB0885 is a great place to start for basic information about the Income Tax Credit for Catalytic Revitalization Projects. If you’d like to learn more about how you can support the bill, contact Steve McCleaf as soon as possible. No amount of support is too small – even something as simple as an email or letter to a legislator can make a big difference.

Also, don’t forget to sign up for updates on our website, and to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest information.

posted by: warfieldadmin

26th July 2018

Groundbreaking at Warfield lauded, called ‘tip of the iceberg’

posted by: warfieldadmin

26th July 2018

Town, county and state officials were all present for Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony at Warfield at Historic Sykesville — celebrating Warfield Cos.’ official acquisition of the former Springfield Hospital site and the beginning of construction for 145 townhouses.

And the weather cooperated, with the sun shining bright for the first time in almost a week after flooding and massive rainstorms pummeled the region. For those who dug into the earth with shovels to celebrate the next steps that morning, the dirt was somewhat softened.

Read the full article from the Carroll County Times.