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Although Laurel was just the first stop in his tour of areas seeking financial assistance to ready roads and other infrastructure for thousands of jobs coming from statewide military staff shifts, Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D) said the city's vision left a very favorable impression.

"There's a lot of exciting things going on in Laurel," he said. "The mayor and the [County Council] certainly have put a lot of work and effort to develop a good vision for the future growth of Laurel."

Brown and David W. Edgerley, the state's Department of Business and Economic Development secretary, were in town Nov. 5 to tour Laurel as part of the city's application to be among areas that will receive state money to help them accommodate swelling populations and traffic from the upcoming Base Realignment and Closure process.

Gov. Martin O'Malley's (D) BRAC Community Enhancement Act provides for these areas, known as Community Enhancement Revitalization and Incentive Zones. State officials will announce the selected zones and their total funding amount on Dec. 15. Brown is visiting Laurel, Andrews Air Force Base in Clinton, Baltimore city, Odenton and Frederick. The state has allocated $5 million total for the five applicants.

In Laurel, the money would be used for traffic improvements, particularly on the single-lane road underneath the MARC train station on the corner of Main and Lafayette streets, said Karl Brendle, Laurel's director of Community Planning and Business Services.

"We have a lot of private sector investment, but we also have a lot of infrastructure needs," Brendle said.

New development in Laurel will absorb much of the expected BRAC-related growth, city officials suggested. Some of the projects highlighted by Brendle and Laurel Mayor Craig Moe, such as the luxury West Chester Apartments at Cherry Lane, are already completed. Others, however, are yet to break ground, including the Laurel Mall redevelopment and Hawthorne Place, a proposed mixed-use development on the site of the old Roadway Express trucking terminal site on Marshall Avenue, near Routes 1 and 198.

Brown, who chairs the state's BRAC subcabinet which coordinates state activities and works with federal and local governments to deal with the rise in households and jobs, said Laurel set a high bar and looks competitive.

"The state is excited about the prospects of partnering up and creating a BRAC zone where we can offer state financial assistance in the areas that's identified by the city to promote development and growth," he said.

State Senator James C. Rosapepe (D-Dist. 21) of College Park and Dels. Joseline PeÒa-Melnyk (D- Dist. 21) of College Park and Barbara Frush (D-Dist. 21) of Beltsville also attended the tour.

PeÒa-Melnyk said the city has done much to attract development and business, but Laurel needs state aid for infrastructure.

Rosapepe, who is also a member of the BRAC Joint Committee – which provides legislative supervision of the state's dealings with the BRAC process – said he is optimistic Laurel's application will be approved.

"[The city] has its act together with planning and there's a strong need to deal with traffic issues. Laurel is located right at the epicenter of the area," Rosapepe said. "The biggest problem in this area right now is traffic congestion. That's why we need to make sure transportation keeps up with development."

E-mail Timmy Gelles at tgelles@gazette.net.

BRAC changes

In May 2005, the U.S. Department of Defense announced 33 major military bases will be closed and staff and offices moved among 29 others by September 2011.

Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County, Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George's County, Fort Detrick in Frederick and Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County are expected to get new military and civilian jobs.

Fort Meade is expected to get upward of 14,000 jobs to the area as a result.

Planners expect Laurel's proximity to Fort Meade will increase population, housing, traffic and commercial activity in the city.