New Businesses Coming to Southern Maryland

spr1975wshs

Mostly settled in...
Ad Free Experience
Patron
I'm kind of sad that all this Disneyfication is happening to Saint Marys...

David Lee Roth of Van Halen came up with that title for things starting to look the same everywhere,
when asked about if cities look different from each other on tour.
He said they did in the early days, but with people wanting conformity of availability, it was harder and harder to tell places apart.
 

NorthBeachPerso

Honorary SMIB
I'm kind of sad that all this Disneyfication is happening to Saint Marys...

David Lee Roth of Van Halen came up with that title for things starting to look the same everywhere,
when asked about if cities look different from each other on tour.
He said they did in the early days, but with people wanting conformity of availability, it was harder and harder to tell places apart.

This isn't aimed at you because you just moved here fairly recently, but that's what the people down here wanted in the beginning (I'm talking all three Counties). Then, once it happened, they looked around and asked "Who the #### allowed this to happen?". They got real pissed when people like me pointed out that it was them who did it.
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
....... that's what the people down here wanted in the beginning (I'm talking all three Counties). ..

Speaking for myself....I moved here because of the way it still was in the early 80s... Was only a frequent visitor before that (going back to 1960s) and moved here from Howard County after that open and rural county was overrun.

So I certainly didn't want any of what has happened with respect to all the growth since the early 80s. None of it.

I know I'm not unique in that respect...I know a lot of folks that never wanted what we've got now.
 

NorthBeachPerso

Honorary SMIB
Speaking for myself....I moved here because of the way it still was in the early 80s... Was only a frequent visitor before that (going back to 1960s) and moved here from Howard County after that open and rural county was overrun.

So I certainly didn't want any of what has happened with respect to all the growth since the early 80s. None of it.

I know I'm not unique in that respect...I know a lot of folks that never wanted what we've got now.

I was talking more of the 12 Families (kind of like the 5 Families in New York City but not as violent) who had run all three Counties for generations.

A lot of the more recent rural pioneers, say from around 1990 or so, are also responsible. Like the guy at the public hearing a couple years ago in Prince Frederick about a Home Depot being built who said that there wasn't any place in Calvert County where he could buy a hammer and nails. He was sitting behind the owner of one of the County's main hardware stores and the meeting was being chaired by the owner of another one.
 

spr1975wshs

Mostly settled in...
Ad Free Experience
Patron
I was talking more of the 12 Families (kind of like the 5 Families in New York City but not as violent) who had run all three Counties for generations.

A lot of the more recent rural pioneers, say from around 1990 or so, are also responsible. Like the guy at the public hearing a couple years ago in Prince Frederick about a Home Depot being built who said that there wasn't any place in Calvert County where he could buy a hammer and nails. He was sitting behind the owner of one of the County's main hardware stores and the meeting was being chaired by the owner of another one.

I work for Lowe's, did so back in Illinois from where we moved.
I got most of my hardware, lumber and nursery supply needs from locally owned and operated businesses.

Took the job with the big box because I needed the better benefits package.
 

tipsymcgee

Active Member
This isn't aimed at you because you just moved here fairly recently, but that's what the people down here wanted in the beginning (I'm talking all three Counties). Then, once it happened, they looked around and asked "Who the #### allowed this to happen?". They got real pissed when people like me pointed out that it was them who did it.

There's definitely been a tradeoff. People don't want the growth but don't mind the cushy base desk job with great benefits. How many folks would be able to work for themselves and run an HVAC, plumbing or any trade/service business if not for the population boom. If not for the proximity to DC and base explosion, we may be dying the slow death like Crisfield or Pocomoke City seem to be going through. I agree they've overdone retail and done too much building up and down 235, but we aren't the only place doing it.
 

BernieP

Resident PIA
This isn't aimed at you because you just moved here fairly recently, but that's what the people down here wanted in the beginning (I'm talking all three Counties). Then, once it happened, they looked around and asked "Who the #### allowed this to happen?". They got real pissed when people like me pointed out that it was them who did it.

Speaking from my experiences...

People wanted stores locally that met their daily needs, and did so by providing quality and variety at a fair price.
Harvest Market was okay, except that you had perishable goods on the shelf after their expiration date, one day and item would be available, then the shelf would be empty for 3 months.
There was one type of bread available, white.

When there was no competition businesses got sloppy and employees got rather lazy and at times rude.

But don't blame it on what people said they wanted, that really didn't drive the growth. Jobs did, people moved here for the jobs that were opened when BRAC hit.
The multiplier effect took over because those people working on base had children and needed housing, medical care, etc. That created more local jobs.
And so forth. You also have to look at what has been going on in DC, PG and even Chuck Co. As areas become gentrified in the city, upscale neighborhoods sprout in PG, it forces the poor out, and they have migrated south and that ends in St. Mary's because you can't go further south.

Now with the population growth, businesses saw the need to move in. Well they were brought in by the families that own and run the county.
Those families grew wealthier selling off land for development and you can bet they made the land use rules fit their plans.
When developer X buys the parcel, they go out and sell space to retailers. So for the local family to make money on the deal they have to guarantee the developer his plans will be approved and he will get his permits.

Notice the people didn't vote yes or no on Lowes (just an example), nobody took a poll and asked if it was Applebees or Ruby Tuesday.

The pace of development was planned to spread out so that the land on the market (for home or business) would be limited.
There was collusion by those that ran county government and those that owned the land to force prices up by controlling the supply.
 

Bonehead

Well-Known Member
We tried Dos Amigos...mediocre, nothing new. Waste of effort on their part in my opinion. I sure had my hopes.
 

BernieP

Resident PIA
We tried Dos Amigos...mediocre, nothing new. Waste of effort on their part in my opinion. I sure had my hopes.

af58407f1d106b667c3212e6c17bcd68--result-quotes-quotes-by-albert-einstein.jpg
 

jazz lady

~*~ Rara Avis ~*~
PREMO Member
New Tenants for St. Mary's Marketplace

Klein Enterprises has let me know that they have just signed some tasty new tenants to the St. Mary's Marketplace. Tropical Smoothie Cafe and Cold Stone Creamery will be located in one of the out parcel buildings next to Panda Express. Cold Stone is Co-Branding their space with the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory which adds chocolates, confections and candy apples to their stores. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory has locations world wide. This will be their first store in Southern Maryland. More tenants are working for St. Mary's Marketplace. Stay tuned!

https://shashoconsulting.blogspot.com/2018/07/new-tenants-for-st-marys-marketplace.html
 
Top