Published: April 25, 2008 11:59 am      

Lawmakers call for input on Canal hotel

CUMBERLAND - Local lawmakers have called for a public meeting with stakeholders in the Canal Place hotel project to be updated on the status of the hotel.

Sen. George Edwards said Thursday the intent is to ensure state lawmakers and officials from the Canal Place Preservation & Development Authority, as well as Allegany County and Cumberland officials, all are on the same page in understanding that state funding for the project is running out.

Delegate LeRoy Myers said officials need to determine how the hotel project is going to move forward - and when. The meeting is slated for 1:30 p.m. May 7 in the conference room of the Allegany County Human Resources Development Commission at 19 Frederick St.

Myers said the idea for the meeting came after talking with authority board members Colleen Peterson and Greg Skidmore.

Myers said the pressure to get something started is compounded when the local delegation fights for state funding - Canal Place is to get $200,000 after requesting $240,000 - then little, if any, progress is made on the promises made by the authority and Trestle Development.

"Nothing has happened" to advance the hotel project, Myers said. "We're getting a little discouraged. As legislators, we're the ones who always get beat up for getting nothing done. We're trying to get them to be aware (that) we won't be able to go down (and ask for more money) unless something starts happening. We told them (in January) it's time to get serious. We're not going to wait until September, October or November to get this done. We want to put this to task right now."

Myers said that if Canal Place officials want state lawmakers to continue to fight for funds "they have to start showing us they're serious about this transition and making Trestle get to work."

As state funding is expected to dry up, Canal officials have approached the city and county governments for possible funding, hoping for all or part of anticipated monies expected from the hotel/motel tax. County Commissioner Dale Lewis said Thursday the county is likely to approve such a deal as long as the county is represented on the authority's board.

"That's good," Myers said, "but you gotta get it built first."

Myers has advocated Trestle joining with outside partners to develop the Footer Dye Works building and has floated developer Michael Joy as one such possibility.

Howard Buchanan, authority chairman, said the lease was signed last month and expects the hotel to open in the spring of 2009. Myers said the sooner that occurs, "restaurants will almost be standing in line" to be approved. The restaurant, in turn, will pay rent to the authority.

Contact Kevin Spradlin at kspradlin@times-news.com.