Brunswick has received its first proposal for downtown development since it received a special business-friendly designation from the state in early July.

Scot Lessler told city officials Monday that he’s reached an agreement with Verdant Development Group LLC and architect Bruce Zavos, both of Frederick, to do a 120-day feasibility study for development in downtown Brunswick.

Lessler owns several properties in downtown Brunswick, many along the South Maple Avenue corridor, in the block adjacent to the Brunswick MARC train station. He owns the properties through Solstice Historic Properties LLC and Railroad Square LLC, according to City Administrator Bob McGrory. Lessler did not tell officials which properties will be the focus of development.

Asked on Tuesday which properties he plans to develop, Lessler said, “I’d rather not say.”

He said he has no idea what type of development he’ll consider, but he wants to add something that will complement Brunswick’s unique downtown. The group expects to announce its proposal in November.

“It’s still extremely early,” he said. “We’re not even much into the ideas stage yet.”

Verdant Development Group and Zavos have both signed a confidentiality agreement with Lessler surrounding the project and declined to speak Tuesday.

Verdant specializes in residential land development projects, as well as adaptive reuse projects, according to its website. Its current projects include Chesterbrook, a development of 18 town houses in Middletown, and Parkside, which is 24 single-family houses in Walkersville.

Zavos is president of Zavos Architecture and Design, a firm involved in local projects such as a proposed mixed-income workforce housing development at 520 N. Market St., in Frederick. He is the chairman of the Affordable Housing Council of Frederick County.

Brunswick officials, along with representatives from Frederick County, announced on July 5 that the state had designated an enterprise zone in the city. Brunswick’s zone is approximately 1,300 acres, including the Brunswick Main Street District, the business transitional district, and the commercial and industrial properties along Petersville and Souder roads.

The designation, given by the Maryland Department of Commerce, offers tax incentives to businesses or other developments that locate in the zone or for businesses that hire new employees. Brunswick has the first enterprise zone in Frederick County, and is one of about 30 enterprise zones across the state.

The city received the status because it experienced a population decrease and property abandonment that met the zone designation criteria.

Lessler said the enterprise zone status created an incentive for him to look into new developments in Brunswick, although he’d wanted to do so for many years.

“It helped at least speed up the process,” he said.

Given the proximity of the properties to the city’s MARC station, the development may qualify for the city’s Transit Oriented Development zoning overlay option. That allows a larger mixture of office, general business/retail, and medium- to high-density residential uses than other zones. The zoning is designed to attract tourists and residents who commute by train.

Mayor Karin Tome said Tuesday that she was ecstatic.

“This is great news,” she said.

Allison Wilder, chairwoman of the city’s economic development commission, who worked on the city’s application with the state, said she hopes Lessler’s project will spur other developers to consider downtown Brunswick.

“Maybe there will be more? Hopefully, this is just the beginning,” she said.

  • By MIKE PERSLEY mpersley@newspost.com