The facility is planned for the Westside Regional Park in Frederick.
Frederick, Md (KM) A bill to set up a new Historic Preservation Training Center in Frederick is advancing. City officials say the legislation went before the US House of Representatives on Tuesday.
The bill, called H.R. 4494 sponsored by Representative David Trone (D-Md), would set aside $1-million to purchase the land identified by the National Park Service and the City of Frederick for the new center. It would be located at the Westside Regional Park.
Mayor Michael O-Connor has provided testimony in support of the measure. “The City of Frederick is honored to be the home of the HPTC,” O’Connor wrote. “Preservation is part of our lived experience as Downtown Frederick is the home to one of the largest collections of preserved historic urban fabric in the nation. HPTC is ideally located in Frederick.”
The City has been working with Preservation Maryland for several months on this project. Preservation Maryland a non-profit organization which works to preserve and invest in historic neighborhoods, buildings and landscapes across the state, and power national workforce development initiative The Campaign for Historic Trades, which creates a number of hands-on opportunities for persons looking to explore, build, or expand historic trades careers.
“H.R. 4494 represents an investment not only in jobs training, but also an investment in preserving the physical vestiges of our nation’s diverse history from which future generations can learn” says Nicholas Redding, President and CEO of Preservation Maryland.
The National Park Service’s Preservation Training Center is looking to relocate. The agency says .its facility in downtown Frederick has outgrown its existing space.
By Kevin McManus