Created in 1985, the St. Mary’s County Community Development Corporation (CDC) is a nonprofit organization serving residents of St. Mary’s County by promoting public and private investment in communities throughout the County. The Corporation is a catalyst for positive change, focusing on revitalizing areas that have experienced significant disinvestment.

The Board of the Corporation is composed of representatives of the community at large, business, finance, commercial and residential development, the defense contracting community, the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, the St. Mary’s County Housing Authority, Department of Social Services and Department of Economic and Community Development.

The Corporation is involved in a range of initiatives critical to community health. It works to anchor capital in underserved neighborhoods to enhance community conditions through development of residential and commercial properties, ranging from affordable housing to shopping centers and even businesses. Since 2000, the Corporation has focused almost exclusively on commercial revitalization in the older commercial areas of Lexington Park. Projects such as the redevelopment of Lexington Manor and the reconstruction of Great Mills Road are typical of initiatives undertaken by the Corporation to focus federal, state and local resources on enhancing this older area.

Improving older communities throughout St. Mary’s County creates an attractive environment for new business growth and helps existing businesses prosper. These actions fuel a stronger and more diverse tax base and increase employment and shopping opportunities for residents County-wide.