Frederick City Committee Meeting: Civil War Museum Lease and Studies Review (March 23, 2026)
Frederick City Committee Meeting: Civil War Museum Lease and Studies Review (March 23, 2026)
The committee met on March 23, 2026, to discuss two main agenda items: a lease amendment and memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, and a compilation of city studies and plans for follow-up. No public comments were made. The meeting also included planning for upcoming sessions.
Discussion Items
Civil War Museum Lease Amendment and MOU
Tracy Coleman, Director of Public Works, introduced two items concerning the National Museum of Civil War Medicine: a first amendment to the lease for the property at 48 East Patrick Street, and a draft MOU designating the museum as project manager for capital improvement projects. The museum has leased the building since 1996, with the lease expiring in August 2025 and currently on a month-to-month basis. The draft amendment provides an updated path toward transferring the property to the museum and modifies lease terms. The MOU allows the museum to oversee planning, bidding, and execution of city-funded CIP projects and to contribute additional funds to expand scope and accelerate timelines. The city purchased the property for $1.887 million, and maintenance costs have been under $500,000 over the past 14 years.
David Price, Executive Director of the museum, and Lily Leonard, consultant with Black Dog Philanthropic, presented details. The museum is the number one tourist attraction in downtown Frederick, with 30,000 visitors per year, and serves as an economic engine. The capital campaign combines internal exhibit upgrades ($1.82 million) and external deferred maintenance (brick repointing, roof, windows, HVAC, ADA compliance, restrooms) for a total of approximately $3.2 million. The museum has contributed $1 million from its endowment, raised over $600,000, and received a $350,000 CIP budget item for FY26, plus a $150,000 grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. The museum's collection includes about 5,000 items, with 99% displayed in Frederick.
Councilmember Kelly asked about the lease amendment, noting it renews until 2030 with an option to purchase the premises for $100. Kelly requested adding language stating the museum's intent to exercise that option. David Price agreed, noting the museum intends to take ownership within a few years. The item is scheduled for the April 2, 2026 meeting for full council consideration.
Compilation of City Studies and Plans
Councilmember Nash presented a compilation of city studies, organized by department, prepared by staff member Clara. The list includes studies dating back to the early 2000s, with most from 2010 onward. Councilmembers discussed the need to extract recommendations, assess current status, and prioritize follow-up. Councilmember Taylor praised the compilation and suggested adding a brief background for each study (origin, mandate, etc.). Councilmember O'Connor noted some studies are ongoing (e.g., affordable housing task force, complete streets). Councilmember Nash proposed creating a template with recommendations and status, then assigning studies to councilmembers for review. Councilmembers volunteered for specific studies:
- Councilmember Taylor: Water and sewer rate study, tree canopy, downtown circulator, mobility and parking recommendations.
- Councilmember Nash: Police department strategic plan, NAC committee, emergency operations plan, parks and rec master plan, sites of enslavement.
- Councilmember Kelly: City of Frederick housing gap and future demand projections (recently presented).
- Councilmember Peter: Police department strategic plan (already assigned), plus others.
Councilmembers agreed to return in approximately one month with findings and notes. The compilation will also be shared for budget purposes.
Future Meeting Planning
Councilmember Nash outlined upcoming meetings: no meeting the following week (fifth Monday), then on April 6 presentations on elections, charter amendments, redistricting, performance-based budgeting, and open primaries. Councilmember Taylor requested a recap of the 2025 election (lessons learned), possibly from the elections commission. Councilmember Nash will seek a speaker on open primaries and coordinate with city elections staff.
Key Outcomes
- The Civil War Museum lease amendment and MOU will be revised to include language affirming the museum's intent to purchase the property for $100, and will be presented for full council approval on April 2, 2026.
- Councilmembers will use a template to review assigned studies and report back in approximately one month.
- Future committee meetings will include presentations on elections, charter amendments, redistricting, performance-based budgeting, and open primaries.
Meeting Transcript
We'll begin with the Pledge of Allegiance. Tracy, did I hear you were going to kick it off first? Yes, good afternoon. Thank you. Um Tracy Coleman, Director of Public Works. Can you all hear me okay? It echoes a little bit here, but um we good. Um I'm joined by um David Price, um, who is executive director of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, and Lily Leonard, um, with Black Dog philanthrop she's a consultant. Um and we are here today to discuss two separate items um, but both about the Civil War Museum. One uh to discuss the lease amendment renewal um with the museum for the property at forty-eight East Patrick Street, and then also to discuss entering into an MOU with them to manage and oversee projects um that we identified in our CIP um program for some of the rehabilitation of the building. Um I'm gonna go over a little bit and then I'm gonna turn it over to David and Lily. Um they've prepared a presentation um about the museum and some of the history, so I'm not really gonna touch on that as much yet, um, unless you have questions. Um let me see. The um the museum, as far as the lease goes, the museum um has been leasing the building since um nineteen ninety-six. That's the updated, yeah. We there's a there's a section or as a date in the MOU that we need to correct before we go for approval. Um in nineteen ninety-six, um, establishing the permanent home downtown. Um, the term of the lease was for ten years and included two additional optional periods. It was um the museum executed both renewal options and the lease expired in August of twenty twenty-five. Um since that time, they've been on a month-to-month basis following the the terms of the original lease. Um in that original lease, um, there was a shared intent um for the property to be transferred um to the museum, um, recognizing the museum's stewardship investment and role not only in the community, um, the renovation um and utilization of the building. Um the draft amendment that we've put before you um provides an updated path towards the transfer of that property as well as some modifications to the terms to simplify some of the management of the property. Um, the draft MOU. It designates the museum as the project manager to oversee planning, bidding, execution of items of the city's capital improvement program along with projects that the museum has planned as well. The MOU allows the museum to contribute additional funds, which they'll talk about that in the presentation. To expand the scope of some of the projects that have been identified and to accelerate the timeline if at all. The work would be coordinated through the museum as the project manager, but the city will also be partnering with that effort. And definitely, you know, we are the ones that would approve the use of any city funds for any of the projects. So part of the reason, like part of the justification for this MOU. The reason that I support this is because of the museum's um long stewardship of the building. Um they've fund they've been a major fundraiser. Um they can ensure grant compliance. There's a couple of grants. I think I've listed them in the executive summary. Um they can coordinate the scope, the sequencing and execution of improvements. Um again, obviously all in close coordination with um cities, the city um project manager, which will likely be me or one of my direct staff. Um see. Just a couple of other quick points. Um I did not include this in the fiscal impact, but I will in the future um executive summary um when this comes before the full council is um just as an FYI, the city paid um 1.887 million for the overall property. The property was purchased in order to build the Carroll Creek parking deck. Um so the building itself is kind of a leftover. Um the maintenance costs have been just under $500,000 for the past at least 14 years, and we do the math in my head. And I say $14. You're saying the math doesn't add up from 1996. Um that's as far back as our um our purchasing records go for this type of a maintenance. So let me see. I think that's what I wanted to present. Um would you like the museum to present first? Do you have questions for me? You have questions for Tracy?
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