Welcome to the latest edition of the East Frederick Rising newsletter! Our community is growing, evolving, and becoming more vibrant every day. We’re excited to share the latest news, events, and initiatives that are shaping the future of East Frederick. From transformative developments to cultural art projects, together, we’re building a dynamic and thriving community.
Dear East Frederick Community,
Welcome to the Winter 2025 edition of your East Frederick Rising Newsletter. Happy New Year!
At East Frederick Rising, we advocate for the seven planning principles outlined in the East Street Corridor Small Area Plan. This plan is our city’s way of moving forward with intention towards the common goals of our community: Walkable, Connected, Safe, Complete, Attractive, Sustainable and – this issue’s theme – Vibrant.
As a community, we had another busy, bright, holiday season, and EFR witnessed the celebration of many new beginnings. This newsletter explores the people, businesses, and investments that will shape our vibrant community now and for years to come.
The People of East Frederick:
Frederick is home to one of two campuses of the MD School for the Deaf. This past December, we witnessed the groundbreaking of Maryland’s first ever Deaf Community Center. This space will serve thousands of Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, providing meeting spaces for connection, resources, and empowerment, a gym, rear parking for up to three food trucks, and much more! Private donations, grant funding, and countless volunteer hours have supported this long-awaited dream and 2025 will finally breathe new life into the Clark Farm property on East Street.
The Businesses of East Frederick:
We hope you had a chance to visit the Christmas Show at the Great Frederick Fairgrounds, or see Santa at the Frederick Municipal Airport! Both these Frederick institutions are a hallmark of East Frederick culture and pride, and their community events are always fun, unique, and showcase the best of what East Frederick has to offer. Of course, our thriving small businesses offer countless ways to support local and have a great time! Enjoy a hyperlocal beer festival, treat your galentines to brunch, attend a wedding show, and so much more at local winter events coming to a small business near you.
The Investments of East Frederick
In December EFR Board Members joined many other stakeholders at the project kickoff and Site Prep Ceremony for the Downtown Frederick Hotel and Conference Center. This project will allow visitors to extend their stay downtown, preserve and revitalize the historic Trolley Building, and transform the former Fraternal Order of Eagles club into a three-story destination featuring a bar and restaurant on the lower level, an entertainment venue on the second floor, and a rooftop lounge.
Also, East Frederick Rising and the City of Frederick recently hosted a Cultural Asset Mapping Workshop. The public was able to contribute to a cultural archive of sites in East Frederick that showcase our culture and heritage. We brainstormed sites where public art, performance art, visual art and culture thrive in East Frederick, and imagined where future sites should go as our communities continue to grow.
Finally, 2025 will see a revitalized commitment from the City of Frederick Planning Department to implement regulations for East Frederick development that meet the high standards of our East Street Corridor Small Area Plan. We are watching this process unfold very carefully, and are making sure we are there to advocate for the kinds of development East Frederick deserves.
More on this to come later in 2025! Thanks for caring, and we’ll meet you on the East Side!
Sincerely,
Heather Goddard, Board President
East Frederick Rising was honored to attend the project kickoff for the Downtown Hotel and Conference Center, joined by Governor Wes Moore and other esteemed organizations. This exciting development marks a transformative milestone for Frederick, promising significant economic growth, new opportunities for Downtown Frederick, and a stunning example of adaptive reuse by revitalizing the historic trolley station.
The historic Trolley Building, originally built in 1910 as a bustling transit hub, will soon blend its rich past with modern development. The redeveloped structure will feature retail spaces on the ground floor and professional offices above, creating a vibrant, multi-use development for downtown. Project manager Will Randall and his team are preserving the building’s historic character, incorporating features like old archways and materials uncovered during the selective interior demolition process.
Adjacent to the trolley station, the redevelopment will also make way for a new downtown hotel, an anchor that will energize the area with visitors and business. Meanwhile, across the lot, Randall is leading the transformation of the former Fraternal Order of Eagles club into The Banyan—a three-story destination with a bar and restaurant on the lower level, an entertainment venue on the second floor, and a rooftop lounge offering stunning views of the city.
Both projects are slated for completion in late 2026 and represent a major leap forward for Frederick’s future. East Frederick Rising is proud to support and celebrate these developments, which will bring fresh energy and vibrancy to our city’s downtown.
East Frederick Rising, in partnership with the City of Frederick, hosted its first-ever Cultural Mapping Workshop, and it was a great success! Through collaborative exercises and guided discussions, community members worked together to identify and document cultural assets throughout East Frederick—ranging from historic sites and institutions to organizations and creative spaces.
We also engaged in a visioning process, brainstorming potential public art locations and the types of artistic expressions we’d love to see. Ideas included murals, sculptures, and gateway art that not only celebrate the East Side’s industrial heritage but also reflect contemporary artistic influences. Additionally, we explored opportunities for greater multi-modal connections—integrating art with walkable and bike-friendly infrastructure—and the creation of new third places, such as public performance spaces, to further activate East Frederick’s cultural landscape.
Cultural asset mapping is a community-driven process that identifies and catalogs the people, places, traditions, and institutions that shape a neighborhood’s cultural identity. This includes historic landmarks, arts organizations, festivals, gathering spaces, and creative hubs that enrich the area’s social and artistic fabric. By understanding what already exists, we can better plan for future projects, public art installations, and cultural initiatives that honor East Frederick’s past while embracing its future.
East Frederick Rising has long been an advocate for public art. Our efforts began in 2017, when we worked with organizations to explore art opportunities for the East Street Circle Project. This workshop reaffirmed our commitment to championing more public art initiatives throughout East Frederick—ensuring that art remains a key element of the area’s growth and identity.
This workshop was just the beginning! Stay tuned for more opportunities to help shape the cultural and artistic future of East Frederick.
If you weren’t able to attend the meeting, no worries! Residents are invited to add their responses to an open survey at https://frederickmd.gov/culturalassetmap. The results will be shared via a forthcoming interactive map on the City’s website and will inform the City’s future arts and culture strategies.
Date: Saturday, February 15, 2025
Time: 12pm to 7pm
Price: Tickets: Ages 21+ $8 Pre-sale tickets or $12 at the door Ages 18-20 $ 5 or $10 at the door Ages 17 and under free
Location: The Great Frederick Fair – 797 E. Patrick St., Building 9, Frederick, MD 21701
Description: Get ready for the ultimate local beer festival, where we’ll come together as a community to celebrate and support all of our awesome Frederick City Breweries. Welcome to the Hyper Local Brew Fest! A Festival your gonna love! Join us on Saturday, February 15, 2025 at the Frederick Fairgrounds for a full day enjoying the finest local brews, fantastic friends, tasty food trucks, kickin’ music, and hip vendors!
Your favorite Frederick City Breweries are coming together in one location to Celebrate BEER and the Frederick Community. Frederick City HYPER LOCAL BREW FEST – A Brew Fest, By the Breweries!
Breweries: Rockwell, Olde Mother, RAK, Idiom, Midnight Run and Monocacy.
Live Music: Let There Be Rock School; Headliner Band TBA
Plenty of FREE parking on-site
All ticket sales are final. No refunds.
Buy your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/frederick-city-hyper-local-brew-fest-21525-noon-tickets-1128265565679?aff=oddtdtcreator
Date: Sunday, February 16, 2025
Time: 10am – 1pm
Location: Take Root Green Room, 320 E. Church St. Frederick MD 21701
Price: FREE
Description:
Mark your calendars, because you and your besties have plans for brunch! Join us at the Take Root Green Room for an exclusive brunch themed shopping experience for all the girlies + their best galentines.
Admission is FREE and all ages are welcome to attend! Must be 21+ to enjoy mimosas. For more information, contact: todyefor.md@gmail.com
Date: Sunday, February 23, 2025
Time: 12 pm – 5 pm
Five Venues: Attaboy Barrel House, Steinhardt Brewing Co., Tenth Ward Distilling Co., Union Mills Public House & The Visitation Hotel
Price: FREE
Description: Planning a wedding? Check out 60+ local vendors showcasing wedding services, expert advice, and inspiration across five locations in Downtown Frederick. Five lucky winners will receive prizes and discounts totaling over $5,000! Plus, enjoy complimentary transportation between locations, courtesy of On the Town Limos.
For more information and a full list of vendors, visit: https://www.attaboybarrelhouse.com/frederick-wedding-show
Date: Friday, February 28th – March 1st
Time: 10am – 1pm
Location: Hood College
Price: FREE
For more information, visit: https://www.mobilizefrederick.org/summit-2025-overview
Description: This year’s theme, “It’s All Connected! How Climate Solutions Work Together for a Better Future,” highlights the power of collective action in tackling the climate crisis. Visit our table to learn about key city initiatives like Rails with Trails, Form-Based Code, and the East Street Redesign—all designed to support multi-modal transportation and sustainable development. Discover practical climate solutions that you and your community can implement to create a more sustainable future!
This year’s summit will feature:
To view the City of Frederick’s public meeting schedule, visit: https://www.cityoffrederickmd.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=14
To view public meeting agendas, staff reports and additional meeting materials, visit: https://www.cityoffrederickmd.gov/901/Public-Meetings
The transformation of the historic Frederick Brickworks site is underway, with exciting developments on the horizon. Recently, Whole Foods Market was announced as the anchor retailer for the redevelopment, marking a significant milestone in this project.
Spanning 64 acres, the project plan includes 1,260 residential units and mixed-use retail space. Six lots make up the site, with 9.9 acres set aside for parkland. Discussions are also underway to include an urban school site, a big issue on the forefront as many schools in the county are facing overcapacity issues. While challenges remain, this idea reflects the forward-thinking vision for the site’s future.
The developer of the site, Greenberg Gibbons, will develop the commercial and multifamily residential lots, and has plans to sell two large lots of residential townhomes to independent developers. Each lot will need approval from the Planning Commission in the months and years to come. East Frederick Rising encourages residents to stay engaged and share their input during this process.
Founded in 1891, Frederick Brickworks was a cornerstone of Frederick’s industrial growth. Located at 184 East South Street, the company supplied high-quality bricks to Frederick, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., solidifying its reputation as a regional leader. The 63-acre site, adjacent to the B&O Railroad, provided abundant resources like brick clay, building stone, and shale, enabling the production of up to 15 million bricks annually. Among its products, the distinctive “Frederick Reds” became synonymous with quality and can still be seen in iconic buildings such as Hood College and the original Frederick High School.
The company’s legacy extends beyond its industrial contributions. At its peak in 1897, Frederick Brickworks employed over 70 workers, utilizing innovative methods like the stiff mud process and steam-powered kilns. Its bricks were used in major infrastructure projects, including the Government Printing Office and Washington’s sewer system. Locally, Frederick Brickworks shaped the architectural character of downtown Frederick, with its bricks prominently featured in homes and public buildings.
Despite challenges like the Great Depression and labor shortages during World War II, the company adapted and persevered. When brick production ceased in 1947, Frederick Brickworks transitioned to retail, selling building supplies and expanding its offerings with a paint showroom in 1950. Although competition and market changes led to its closure at the South Street location in 2007, the company’s legacy lives on at its Monocacy Boulevard site, where it continues to support local builders and businesses.
As the redevelopment of this historic site moves forward, its rich history serves as both a foundation and opportunity. We continue to meet with representatives from Greenberg Gibbons to advocate for:
Additionally, given the site’s proximity to the MARC station, downtown Frederick, and the fairgrounds, this project presents a unique opportunity to be a true Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). Prioritizing walkability and access to public transportation would reduce car dependency, improve connectivity, and create a more sustainable urban environment. Finally, we continue to track the feasibility of incorporating an elementary school site, hopefully on lot 3 of the development. This school is our opportunity to design and build Frederick’s first ever compact, urban school, to change zoning laws to make a school site possible in any Mixed-Use zoned property, and to coordinate a first-ever 4-way Memorandum of Understanding between FCPS, Frederick County, Frederick City, and a private developer to obtain this school site. Additional agencies impacting the success of this school acquisition are City Parks and Recreation (since part of the school site property will be on shared parkland), MDE and the EPA (since the property is on contaminated soils that will require environmental remediation.) East Frederick Rising will continue to provide updates and opportunities for engagement—stay tuned as this transformation unfolds.
The Renn Quarter development continues to shape the landscape of East Frederick, with the City of Frederick Planning Commission recently approving Phase 3, Section 2, of the project. This marks a significant milestone in the progress of a development that began with the rezoning of the Renn property in 2015. The rezoning changed the designation from Light Industrial (M1) to the Mixed-Use Floating District (MU-2), alongside the approval of a Master Plan allowing for up to 1,050 residential units, 105,000 square feet of nonresidential space, and designated open space.
Among the many conditions of rezoning, the City required the developer to fully construct a shared-use path connecting Monocacy Boulevard to Highland Street, including the portion running adjacent to Husky Park. This condition aims to enhance pedestrian and bicycle connectivity in the area. The photo below is an illustration of the 2015 plans for the Carroll Creek Linear Park extension. Many of the amenities promised were deemed infeasible due to environmental constraints listed by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). The only remaining feature of the map is the shared use path. EFR is continuing to advocate for the completion of the path since it is a connection to Downtown that many residents of the East Church and Renn Quarter communities would like to see come to fruition.
Phase 3, section 2 of the Renn Quarter development spans 28.38 acres south of Monroe Avenue and will bring the total number of residential units within the community to 874. During the Planning Commission meeting, an East Frederick Rising representative inquired about updates to the shared-use path. Chris Smariga of Harris and Smariga Associates clarified that the path will continue along the eastern side of Monocacy Boulevard as development progresses and will eventually extend westward to Highland Street. However, since the path is being developed incrementally as lots are recorded, no definitive timeline for completion was provided.
East Frederick Rising will continue to monitor the progress of this important connectivity feature and advocate for timely implementation to support the growing community. Additionally, East Frederick Rising is exploring the idea of hosting an informational session on the development, inviting residents, city staff, and developers for discussion and updates on the project. Many residents and members of the public are eager to see the shared-use path completed, as they were promised this amenity when purchasing their homes.
In the meantime, we’ll be sure to provide any updates as they come in.
Blake Bomberger and Marc George turned their shared dream into reality when they officially launched Unrivaled Iron Gym. Established in 2022, the gym opened its doors on December 2, 2023, after nearly a year of dedicated planning and preparation. Located in the thriving East Church community of Frederick, Unrivaled Iron Gym is more than just a fitness facility – it’s a welcoming space for everyone from athletes to first-time lifters.
The Vision Behind the Gym
As lifelong bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts, Blake and Marc brought their complementary experiences to the table: Marc owns Total Athlete Nutrition, a supplement store in Columbia, while Blake has spent the past five years coaching athletes and lifestyle clients both online and in person. Together, they hand-selected every piece of equipment for the gym, combining old-school charm with modern functionality to create a space optimized for performance and growth.
The gym’s philosophy is simple: hard work and community go hand in hand. Whether you’re training for a competition or starting your fitness journey, you’ll find a supportive, family-like environment at Unrivaled.
Why Frederick?
Blake and Marc were drawn to Frederick’s vibrant and growing community. The East Church location offered the perfect opportunity to build their vision in a neighborhood that feels like home. With its inviting vibe, Unrivaled has become a go-to gym for local residents, offering a refreshing alternative to corporate fitness centers.
What Sets Unrivaled Apart
Unrivaled Iron Gym prides itself on its high-quality, specialized equipment and its tight-knit community. “From our staff and trainers to Marc and me as owners, we make it a priority to welcome every member and create a relaxed, community-like feel,” says Blake.
The gym is constantly evolving to meet the needs of its members. Plans are already underway to expand the facility by an additional 5,600 square feet of gym space and 8,000 square feet of office space, which will soon house Premier Stretch and Massage, Hanson Physical Therapy, MidAtlantic Chiro, and the upcoming Unrivaled Supplement Center.
Fun Facts and Local Favorites
When it comes to community connections, Blake and Marc have plenty of stories to share – including the time they personally loaded over 100 pieces of equipment by hand in Arkansas to bring their dream gym to life.
And if you’re looking for them outside the gym? They’re likely grabbing coffee and breakfast sandwiches at their favorite local spot, Frederick Coffee Co.
Membership Perks
Unrivaled Iron Gym is open 24/7, including holidays, making it accessible for any schedule. Their New Year promotion offers an unbeatable deal: sign up for just $32 with no initiation fees or contracts (only a 30-day cancellation notice required).
Find Unrivaled Iron Gym
Website: Unrivaledirongym.com
Facebook & Instagram: @unrivaledirongym
Cheers to one year of business! Here’s to continued success and many years to come! If you’re ready to join a gym that combines top-tier equipment, expert support, and a true sense of community, Unrivaled Iron Gym is waiting for you.
Apply for the Façade Improvement Program
Looking to enhance your building’s curb appeal? The Façade Improvement Project offers matching grants of up to $10,000 to building and business owners for eligible façade upgrades. Applicants can receive up to 50% of the total project cost, with grants starting at $500 and capped at $10,000. In some cases, grants above $10,000 may be approved by the East Frederick Rising (EFR) Board, based on project scope, funding availability, and anticipated applications.
Who Can Apply?
Building owners or tenants with property owner approval are encouraged to apply. Projects must be located within East Frederick Rising’s boundary, with a primary focus on properties along East Street (from South to Thirteenth Streets) and eastward to Monocacy Boulevard. Unsure if your property qualifies? Contact the EFR Board to confirm eligibility.
What Improvements Are Eligible?
Funding is available for enhancements to street-facing façades, including frontages along Carroll Creek. Eligible projects include:
Projects must be pre-approved, and work completed prior to a letter of commitment will not be funded.
Ready to transform your building? Reach out to the East Frederick Rising Board for more details and to apply today!
We value your feedback and suggestions. Feel free to reach out to us at:
info@eastfrederickrising.com
Thank you for being an essential part of the East Frederick community. Be on the lookout for our next Spring Edition Newsletter on May 1, 2025.
See you on the east side!
East Frederick Rising