The 12 acre site in Prince Frederick that has been the subject of much speculation is about to take shape. The developer of the commercial property where once stood a school says there are still a few details on the checklist to address before any building begins.
Late last week, Rick Bailey of Armory Square LLC confirmed crews are ready for preliminary work. The end result will be a commercial site that includes an ALDI grocery store, another location for Sneade’s Ace Hardware (the local company has stores in Lusby and Owings), a new site for Dash In plus several other retail units. Generation Properties is managing the entities that will be the initial tenants of the site.
Bailey said the dining locations at Armory Square include Hangry Joe’s, First Watch cafe and Foster’s Grille.
The location of ALDI, one of the nation’s fastest expanding grocery chains, has created much of the enthusiasm for the project. It would become Prince Frederick’s fifth grocery store.
“We have site plan approval, our development permits have been issued,” Bailey said, adding that sediment control and soil-related actions must also be completed.
Also underway are relocations for utilities, specifically, lines belonging to Verizon and Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative.
Installing gas tanks related to the Dash In location will also be part of the site preparation.
Bailey confirmed that improvements to Armory Square will also be done in advance of any store openings.
“We will be filing for building permits,” Bailey said, estimating the construction phase of the project is about four to six months away. He added Armory Square with its additional stores anticipated to open by the summer of 2025.
According to Calvert County Government’s economic development department, Armory Square will have an estimated 125,000 square feet of retail space, create approximately 450 new jobs and yield an estimated $325,000 annually in tax revenue.
Prior to its identification as prime commercial property, the Armory Square site was the location for what was originally Calvert County Senior High School. When it was shuttered the structure was serving as Calvert Middle School. The building was demolished in 2012.
Another iconic building in the vicinity, the Prince Frederick National Guard Armory, was razed last year.
“We got a $2.5 million grant and we’re going to put up a community pavilion,” Commissioner President Earl F. “Buddy” Hance (R) announced last summer when explaining why the eight-decades old armory was being removed.
The grant was from the Rural Maryland Economic Development Fund.
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