Bel Air Armory Entering New Chapter in History

BEL AIR, MD — Town commissioners toured the Bel Air Reckord Armory this week as they consider the facility's future.

Originally, the armory was built in 1915 to house the National Guard.

The town of Bel Air acquired the building in 2004 and oversaw renovations, which recently culminated in the refurbishing of cinderblock garages behind the armory for business incubation.

Director of Administration Michael Krantz told the Bel Air town commissioners that the armory has been losing money and charging below-market rates for use of the space, according to The Aegis, which reported it had $300,000 in expenses last year. He was on a tour with the town commissioners Tuesday where they were discussing plans for the future of the armory.

Currently, the armory is used for various events, such as the annual chocolate festival and spring fling, and houses offices for the town's welcome center. It costs $500 to $1,000 to rent the armory.

The expenses far outweigh what the building has been bringing in for Bel Air. The town budget shows that for FY 2015, the town took in $65,000 in fees from organizations using the armory.

According to The Aegis, the plan is to hire an events manager for approximately $40,000 a year to increase the armory's use and explore the possibility of establishing a nonprofit to oversee it.

What do you foresee for the Bel Air Armory? Tell us in the comments!

See Also: Bel Air Armory Celebrates 100 Years

Patch File Photo.