BALTIMORE — Gov. Wes Moore on Monday announced that the Maryland Department of Commerce has approved an expansion and redesignation of the Town of Chestertown’s Enterprise Zone.
In addition, the Department of Commerce approved the extension of Baltimore City’s Enterprise Zone to include an additional 120 acres and redesignated the City of Brunswick zone in Frederick County.
“Enterprise Zones help create economic opportunities statewide, from business attraction to capital investment to job creation efforts. We are proud to have worked with our economic development partners on these three designations and we look forward to watching our local communities reap the benefits of this important program,” Maryland Department of Commerce Secretary Harry Coker Jr. said in a statement Monday, July 13.
The Maryland Department of Commerce approves the state’s Enterprise Zones, while local governments are responsible for their administration.
Businesses operating within an Enterprise Zone may be eligible for a tax credit toward their state income tax filings based upon the number of new jobs created and a tax credit toward their local real property taxes based upon their overall capital investment in a property.
According to a news release from the Maryland Department of Commerce, businesses located in the state’s 34 Enterprise Zones will receive $56.3 million in property tax credits based on more than $5 billion in investments made in fiscal year 2025.
The Chestertown-Kent County Enterprise Zone has gained 45 acres, now covering more than 1,100 acres including commercial and industrial areas, Washington College, the University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Chestertown, the Chestertown Business Park and the downtown business district.
It is anticipated that redesignating this Enterprise Zone will help existing employers expand, attract new business to the town and encourage Washington College students to remain in the area after graduation.
“The Enterprise Zone has played a critical role in supporting both small businesses and major employers in Chestertown,” Mayor Meghan Efland said in a statement. “By encouraging investment, it has helped bring new life to historic, aging and previously undeveloped properties. This renewal ensures we can continue to foster thoughtful growth that benefits our local economy and community character alike,” she added.
Kent County Economic and Tourism Development Director Jamie Williams said expansion and redesignation of the Chestertown-Kent County Enterprise Zone “strengthens one of the most effective tools in our economic development toolbox.”
“This state program fuels business growth, attracts new investment and opens the door to new opportunities,” Williams said. “The redesignation positions Kent County and Chestertown for long-term, strategic economic growth across our commercial base.”
Baltimore City’s Enterprise Zone covers nearly 16,800 acres and has been expanded to include Fairfield, Poppleton, Reisterstown Plaza/Seton Business Park, Upton and Westport. The five areas are located along major city corridors, industrial parks, the industrial waterfront and the central business district.
The expansion of this Enterprise Zone will help to sustain and encourage growth among existing businesses, and attract new development, investment and job creation to various neighborhoods in Baltimore.
The City of Brunswick Enterprise Zone has been redesignated, with its boundaries changing to primarily focus on the historic downtown area, commercial and mixed-use areas, and the Petersville Road commercial corridor.
The Enterprise Zone designation, which contains about 1,060 acres in Frederick County, will offer opportunities for businesses to locate in the city’s historic buildings and bring additional employment opportunities for local residents.
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These designations are the first to be approved since Cecil County’s Enterprise Zone expanded last year, reaching more than 8,200 acres in the county.
In late 2024, Howard County gained an Enterprise Zone that included the Route 1 Industrial Corridor and the Columbia Gateway District, while Baltimore County’s Chesapeake Enterprise Zone, which includes Tradepoint Atlantic and surrounding areas on the county’s east side, was redesignated with new boundaries through 2034.
