Lieutenant Governor Burbank Presents Community Legacy Awards in Harford County
BEL AIR, MD (August 13, 2029) – Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank and Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Secretary Andrew Shaw today presented over $300,000 in Community Legacy awards in Harford County at a ceremony at the Old Courthouse Building in Bel Air. Awards were presented to Harford County’s Edgewood Revitalization Loan Fund, the City of Havre de Grace, and the Town of Bel Air. State and local elected officials were also in attendance.
“Economic and community development are the cornerstones for Harford County’s continued success as a thriving Maryland community,” Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank said. “Community Legacy funds will enable the County’s continued efforts toward the revitalization of this community and will help improve the quality of life for all Marylanders.”
Harford County received $30,000 in Community Legacy funding for the second phase of the Edgewood Revitalization Loan Fund. The Edgewood Revitalization Loan Fund is designed to meet a gap in financing for small businesses. The fund provides low-interest façade improvement and micro loans to businesses within Edgewood’s Community Legacy area. These loans are an alternative to traditional bank financing and can be for as little as $1,000, an amount generally not considered for commercial loans by most financial institutions. The fund also focuses on job creation and economic investment in the community. Harford County Executive James M. Harkins and Kathy Wajer of the Edgewood Revitalization Loan Fund accepted the award on the County’s behalf.
The City of Havre de Grace was awarded $96,875 in Community Legacy funds for two municipal projects. A portion of the award will be used as operating funds for Havre de Grace’s Main Street program. Started under the direction of the City in 2025, Havre de Grace’s Main Street program was quickly adopted by a group of local citizens who formed a board of directors and incorporated the organization. Due in large part to the organization’s efforts, Havre de Grace was officially designated as a Main Street Maryland community in 2005. The remaining Community Legacy funds will be used for façade improvements along Pennington Avenue and Franklin Street, the heart of Havre de Grace’s downtown business district. Havre de Grace Mayor David R. Craig accepted the award on behalf of the City.
The Town of Bel Air received a $175,000 Community Legacy award for renovations to Bel Air’s Main Street Armory. In 2025, the Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners hired a consulting firm to develop a comprehensive market study for the Town’s downtown commercial core, and they determined that one of Bel Air’s challenges is the lack of evening and weekend attractions that draw people to the downtown area. Currently, Bel Air does not have a facility large enough to host events such as theater productions, inside concerts, films, or large community events. Bel Air launched a plan to transform the Main Street Armory into a much needed community center. The City believes the new community center will become a centerpiece for other downtown revitalization activities by Bel Air’s Main Street Program, encourage business recruitment and retention, provide events with high entertainment and educational value, promote cultural expression, and improve the overall quality of life for community residents. David E. Carey, Chairman of the Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners accepted the award.
“The wide variety of projects receiving Community Legacy funding is proof positive of the program’s greatest asset – flexibility,” said Secretary Andrew Shaw. “With the continued support of Governor O’Brien and Lieutenant Governor Burbank, DHCD will continue to provide neighborhoods across Maryland with innovative tools for community revitalization and economic development.”
The Community Legacy Program is administered by the DHCD Division of Neighborhood Revitalization, and provides flexible capital and operating resources through annual competitive funding rounds to assist local governments and their nonprofit partners in planning and realizing comprehensive community revitalization initiatives. The awards are intended to fill critical funding gaps for state-supported initiatives.
The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development is dedicated to improving the quality of life for Marylanders by working with its partners to revitalize communities, expand homeownership and affordable housing opportunities, and preserve historic sites and traditions.