Bel Air Renewing Arts & Entertainment District Status

BEL AIR, MD — The town of Bel Air is one step closer to having its historic core redesignated as a Maryland Arts & Entertainment District.

The Bel Air Board of Town Commissioners passed a resolution Monday night approving the redesignation of nearly 100 acres downtown as an arts and entertainment district.

Bel Air was first designated an Arts & Entertainment District in 2011, a status that would expire this year unless the town applied for redesignation, according to Bel Air Economic Development Director Trish Heidenreich.

The designation allows state tax incentives around activities, artists and businesses in the district, she said.

April 1 is the deadline for the town to apply for redesignation through the Maryland State Arts Council, which has coordinated the program under the umbrella of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce since 2001. Since then, the council has designated nearly 30 arts and entertainment districts around the state, including Bel Air and Havre de Grace.

“In the 10 years that have passed, the town has seen an increase in arts-related investments, activities and events, thus attracting more shoppers and diners to our restaurants and our retail stores,” Heidenreich said at a Town Hall meeting Monday night where a resolution on the redesignation of Bel Air's Arts & Entertainment District was up for a vote.

“In addition to bolstering commerce, opportunities for enhancement of our commercial and residential real estate inventory have also increased by providing economic incentives for affordable housing for artists and art studio workshops that rehabilitate underused properties and create jobs in the community,” Heidenreich added.

“It's a very positive designation," she said, noting it was "quite an important tool to attract investment to the town.”

'Significant Growth' In Art In Last 10 Years

Two people shared during the public hearing that the Arts & Entertainment District has been a boon for the town of Bel Air.

"In the last 10 years since Bel Air was designated as Arts & Entertainment District, we've just seen just significant growth in the variety of art and the cultural events offered in town, both the number of local artists that sell their work here as well as the beautiful public art pieces that have been installed," said Kristien Foss, chair of the Bel Air Cultural Arts Commission.

"All this really contributes to our town, and it makes it a truly vibrant place to live," Foss said. "It attracts both our visitors and our new residents as well ... It celebrates our history."

To qualify as an Arts & Entertainment District, a municipality or county government must apply and present an area that will serve as the center of cultural attractions and arts programs.

In Bel Air, the district encompasses 99 acres that includes properties along MD 22, Main Street and US 1. (See the map below.)

"Every day and every year, I think more and more art shows up in Bel Air, and it makes it so colorful and fun,” Mayor Amy Chmielewski said during the public hearing, which was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Said Chmielewski:"I'm looking forward to seeing more murals and more art go up."

After she spoke, the town commissioners unanimously passed the resolution redesignating Bel Air's Arts & Entertainment District.

If approved, the designation would last for 10 years, during which time the town would provide tax credits for eligible arts-related properties and activities in the district.

Here is the map of the Bel Air Arts & Entertainment District:

See Also:

• Havre de Grace To Expand Arts & Entertainment District
• State Designates Catonsville An Arts & Entertainment District
• 8 Things To Do In Station North, An Arts & Entertainment District In Baltimore
• Silver Spring Residents To Choose Arts And Entertainment District's Mural