Shore United Bank, a member of Shore Bancshares community of companies headquartered in Easton, Maryland recently contributed $10,000 towards the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy’s (ESLC) Phillips Packing Plant revitalization project in Cambridge. The check was presented by Shore United Bank’s President and CEO, Pat Bilbrough, to ESLC’s Executive Director Rob Etgen and Center for Towns Director Katie Parks (pictured).
A joint venture between ESLC and Baltimore’s Cross Street Partners, the project aims to repurpose the last remaining structure (referred to as ‘Plant F’) of the famed Phillips Packing Company empire into a hub for creative food production, retail and small business, and entrepreneurial initiatives that build off of the Eastern Shore’s agricultural resources and growing local food economy. The 60,000 square-foot building has been renamed The Packing House.
For decades, the Phillips empire employed thousands in Cambridge while also purchasing millions of dollars in product from Delmarva farmers annually. The building, while neglected and vacant since the 1960’s, features an open floor plan, soaring ceilings, and the opportunity to retain many historic architectural features that will impart the space with an authentic, Eastern Shore manufacturing aesthetic.
“Things are looking up for your project,” said Bilbrough. “We believe it is a great thing for your organization and the local community. Land conservancy does not need to be mutually exclusive to placing conservation easements or economic development, and this project proves that in a way very similar to the McCord/Conservation Center project.”
The Cannery reuse plan is building around a food and farming exchange, which includes a microbrewery, kitchen incubator and market, shared use office innovation hub, oyster bar, and event space.
For information about The Packing House project and/or ESLC, please contact ESLC Center for Towns Director Katie Parks at [email protected] 410.690.4603, ext. 155. More information can also be found at thePackingHouseCambridge.com.
Eastern Shore Land Conservancy
Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit land conservation organization committed to preserving and sustaining the vibrant communities of the Eastern Shore and the lands and waters that connect them. ESLC helps save land and promote sound land use planning from the C&D Canal in Cecil County all the way to the Nanticoke River in Dorchester County. More at www.eslc.org.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.