(A pitch to a television network for a documentary series.)

Frederick, MD, is a multicultural town, situated in central Maryland, almost equal distances from Baltimore, Gettysburg PA, and Washington DC. Steeped in American history, it was a hospital town during the Civil War. In later years, it became an industrial hub for canning, tanning and getting products to market via the Baltimore railroad.

By 1970, suburban sprawl and shopping malls had pulled the life out of downtown. Government buildings made up most of what was left, along with a library, a few small businesses and even fewer industries like Food Pro, Uncle Ralph’s Cookies and Dairy Maid Dairy.

In 1972, Hurricane Agnes brought major flooding downtown. Another major flood hit downtown in October of 1976. It damaged the historic Tivoli Theater, floating its famous Wurlitzer organ onto the stage and filling the theater with mud and muck. Instead of knocking it down, the residents banded together to restore it. Just 14 months later, in February of 1978, it reopened as the Weinberg Center for the Arts. This amazing rebirth was the first of many for Frederick.

The Carroll Creek Project, a creek side floodplain development with brick footpaths, fountains and planted areas, was started to protect from future flooding. Flood control construction began in 1985. Park development began in 2005. And while Frederick suffered economically and had high crime rates in the late 1980s, it is now home to a thriving arts and business district that hosts community events and welcomes families of all stripes. The business community boasts several biomedical firms and a burgeoning tech industry.

Education is the Foundation

Good businesses need good employees, and the schools in Frederick have delivered them. The Frederick County Public School system has consistently ranked among the best in the state. In 2017, its 10 high schools averaged a 94 percent graduation rate and a college readiness index of 38.7, compared to a national mean of 20.91. In addition to traditional schools, the district offers evening high school, a virtual school and a vocational school. FCPS also offers support for low income students through a student homelessness initiative. A recent survey found that 99% of more than 1,000 employers surveyed indicated that FCPS students met or exceeded workplace readiness standards.

In 1998, FCPS developed the EBI Connection – a network of partnerships of education, business and industry based on a community vision for fostering a quality workforce through education. Five years later, the school system celebrated the signing of 200 formal business partnerships. The program has made over 1,400 new partnerships with local businesses over the past 5 years to meet student needs.

Partnership efforts include:

  • National Cancer Institute Internship
    • Celebrating its 27th year. In 2016, the Maryland State Department of Education recognized the NCI program as the Outstanding Business Partnership for the Year in Career and Technology Education. The program has provided opportunities for over 1,000 students to work alongside nationally known scientists on cutting-edge diagnostic tests and treatments for cancer and AIDS research. The goals of the partnership are to provide authentic STEM-related experiences for high school students and to expose them to laboratory research and administrative management in a healthcare environment.
  • The Billionaires’ Club
    • In partnership with the Credit Union Foundation of MD/DC and FCPS, the Nymeo Federal Credit Union sponsors the Millionaire’s Club. The financial-literacy club is designed to teach students leadership and entrepreneurial skills. Nymeo provides seed grants and a detailed curriculum developed by the National Endowment for Financial Education. The club also engages students in competitions such as The Stock Market Game.

FCPS also offers the Frederick SUCCESS program for 18 to 21-year-old students with disabilities. The program works with non-diploma bound developmentally disabled students. Local employers help participants find employment. The program also teaches the skills needed for daily independent living. Participants also learn job skills and receive assistance in creating digital portfolios highlighting their skills and experience.

Continuing the Education Effort

It took a great deal of creative, collaborative effort to serve the education needs of all students and the community and the effort continues. With a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), FCPS is incorporating a science-based approach to all applicable topics.

LYNX

Another example of Frederick’s knack for revitalization happened in the last two years. FCPS was in the running for a grant from Steve Jobs widow in a program to “reimagine high school.” When their plan was not among the final ten to get funding, Superintendent Terry Alban worked to get local and state funding to implement the plan anyway. The grant finalists were announced in September of 2016. Alban wasted no time switching gears. LYNX was approved by the FCPS board in November and received state support in January of 2017.

The result is Linking Youth to New Experiences, or LINX, which started in the fall of 2017 when the new Frederick High School opened. About 300 freshmen enrolled in the program. Every student will meet their college and career goals by designing a Student Success Plan with parents/guardians, teachers, business and community partners, and advocates. LYNX recognizes the reality that there is no “typical student.” Every student has different dreams, goals, challenges, and talents. LYNX at Frederick High will build from that idea by offering flexible, new approaches to teaching and learning within a structured framework.

LYNX is based on four guiding principles:

  • Advocacy
  • Partnerships
  • Flexible Schedules
  • Innovative Learning

Putting the plan into place required approval from the state board of education. Not only did that happen quickly, but the board was so impressed with the plan that Alban was named Superintendent of the Year by the state board in February of 2017.

A River Runs Under It

In many ways, the 1976 flood was the catalyst for Frederick’s rebirth. There was an obvious need for flood control, but Mayor Ron Young saw an opportunity for more.

The best option presented was, essentially, a giant sewer system running through downtown. It would solve the flooding, but it was ugly, Young said.  He worked with architects and designers to develop a plan to cover the drainage conduits with a surface stream similar to the River Walk in San Antonio, Texas.

Getting approval and funding for the project was a daunting task, but Young believed it was what Frederick needed.

“In the past 20 years, people have tended to throw away cities like beer cans,” Young said. “I wanted to create an identity for Frederick.” 

A Greater Vision

Young didn’t see it as just a flood control issue, he sold it as an economic development plan. It took the downtown area out of the floodplain, making it more valuable real estate. Downtown was designated an historic district in 1977, providing more incentive for private investment. The plan worked, small businesses and restaurants began to pop up downtown. Breweries and technology companies followed.

Downtown Frederick Partnership was launched to encourage and support business downtown. Artists’ Nights and First Saturday events began promoting the area. Glen Ferguson and his wife Julia founded Cowork Frederick as a co-working space for independent workers, freelancers and small businesses. He said DFP made them feel like part of a community of small businesses.

DFP also gives sessions on tax changes, window decorations and other business topics. The partnership also holds information meetings to keep business owners informed about downtown activity.

Frederick earned a reputation as being business friendly, with less red tape and lower operating costs than surrounding areas. Not resting on its laurels, Frederick business and government leaders have created more ways to encourage business growth.

Collaborative Effort

Cowork Frederick isn’t the only organization supporting new and small businesses. Frederick Innovation Technology Center, Inc. was created in 2004. The business incubator is a non-profit partnership of Frederick County and Frederick City governments and the local business community. The effort has brought more than 230,000 employees to town.

The founders of Imagilin Technology, a biotech firm, started in the Innovation Technology Center and says Frederick has been very welcoming and supportive. “One of the main reasons we stay in Frederick is the great business support we receive from the City, County and State economic development offices. We are proud to have graduated from the Frederick County Innovative Technology Center and be a business incubator success story,” said founders Dr. JJ Lin and Joshua Lin.

Brewing Success

With its German heritage and agricultural background, brewing beer was a good fit. In 1994 craft brewer Flying Dog relocated from Aspen, Colo., to Frederick. Flying Dog built a new brewery and added 100 jobs. Other breweries, including Attaboy Brewery, Brewer’s Alley and 10th Ward followed. McClintock Distillery has also opened downtown.

Tech and Biotech

With the U.S. biological defense program located at nearby Fort Detrick, biotechnology has firm roots in Frederick. More than a dozen firms, including AstraZeneca, Medigen and Imagilin have started or settled there.

Tech Frederick is a local organization that encourages tech firms to collaborate and help each other grow. It has programs to help retrain workers who need niche skills, offering free or low-cost classes. The non-profit also brings in prominent CEOs to tell stories of overcoming challenges.

Tech companies like Yakabod, Regent Education and ALTEK call Frederick home. Marriot International’s computer center is also located in town. Yakabod owner Scott Ryser said Frederick felt right for the maker of secure social software.

“It didn’t make sense to start this company in an industrial park,” he said. “Frederick had the right feel.” He cites the sense of community and urban infrastructure in a rural setting. Frederick is the best of both worlds, he said.

In a 2016 article in Forbes Magazine, it was noted that the region was among the top-paying states for tech workers and compared the Frederick area to Silicon Valley.

Small Businesses Flourish

Small business is a big part of Frederick. Jon-Mikal Bailey is the owner of Wood Street Graphic Design, founded in 2002. He said Fred, as the town is known to locals, has a tight-knit business community. “Many of the employees grew up in Frederick, so it feels like home,” he said. One employee was hired right out of Frederick High School on the recommendation of a teacher. Bailey is looking forward to more collaboration with the schools.

Plus, there is an “extra layer of creativity because it’s an artsy, cool town,” he said.

April Reardon has ties to Frederick. She wrote a business plan in college for a fashion store. When it came time to put the plan in action, Downtown Frederick was the only place she could afford to open Velvet Lounge. She got in on the ground floor of Frederick’s rebirth and hasn’t looked back.

Quality of Life

By preserving the old and inviting the new, Frederick has become an inviting, authentic community. But that isn’t the only dichotomy in this town where farmers and brewers mingle with scientists and CEOs. “You can feel like the city or the country,” one resident said in a recent survey.  “There’s every restaurant and store you could think of within 10 minutes.

Yakabod owner Riser loves the “amazing” sense of community. He says when you walk to work you pass four or five people you know, and your kids play together.

“Fred” is so inviting that many local farms have become tourist destinations along with local wineries. Frederick is an example of a town that’s made the best of what it has been given and succeeded by coming together to make life better.