MEDCO Builds $15 Million
National Parks Service C&O Canal Headquarters

Stretching 184.5 miles from Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Maryland, the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal is a staple of American history. Its vibrant cultural, natural, and historic resources draw visitors nationwide, making it the most visited National Park east of the Mississippi. The canal was designated as a National Park Service (NPS) site in 1938, with its original headquarters located over 12 miles away in Hagerstown, Maryland.
 
NPS wanted to move the C&O Canal National Historical Park Headquarters closer to the canal and identified an obsolete lumber yard along the canal in Williamsport, Maryland, adjacent to the Cushwa Basin and an old canal lock. After a failed attempt to lease the location in 2002, NPS reignited its relocation efforts to Williamsport in 2017. NPS engaged MEDCO to facilitate the land purchase, hire historical preservation entities, and build a new headquarters.
 
NPS Safety Officer and Project Manager John Adams says, “MEDCO was fantastic from the beginning. They heard our ideas, wants, and needs and always figured out exactly how to accomplish them.”
 
John Genakos, MEDCO Director of Real Estate Development and Construction, adds, “What is unheard of in this project, and may be of national importance, is how MEDCO was able to work with various public and federal partners to make the dream a reality.”
 
MEDCO worked with the NPS to write a grant application to the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for funds to obtain the property from a private owner. “DHCD was interested in transforming this ‘white whale’ and reinvigorating the unused industrial building. The property includes the oldest structure in the town, dating back to the 1700s. Revising this site and returning a community gem to the public was a priority,” Genakos shares.
 
Preserving the site’s cultural and historical value was paramount. MEDCO worked closely with NPS and the Maryland Historic Trust to ensure all development was to historical standards and perform tasks necessary for a cultural site, such as archeological and historical studies. “A lot of time was spent researching the land. Understanding which assets could remain on the property and how to design the new building to honor the site’s historic integrity,” adds Genakos.
 
Previously, 600-750 thousand annual visitors came to the Cushwa Basin. MEDCO anticipated that redevelopment would raise visitation to the C&O even further. MEDCO worked with the Town of Williamsport and Washington County to support tourism growth and facilitate development through a ground lease.

MEDCO took the role of project developer from start to finish — undertaking the design of the new building, compliance management, hiring contractors and architects, ordering materials, and overseeing the project and its installation. “They were a one-stop-shop for our development needs and took care of everything,” said Adams.
 
A cooperative management agreement (CMA) with the NPS, similar to a lease, enabled MEDCO to secure a commercial construction loan. This partnership allows MEDCO to manage the property until 2050, after which the NPS may extend or purchase the land, offering a potential long-term investment for the Federal government. Under MEDCO’s project development and unique approach to leasing, NPS accelerated the typical development time for a National Park site.
 
“The agreement was something that had never been done before within the NPS,” remarked Adams. “Other parks have asked how we accomplished the new C&O headquarters. The overwhelming response to our story is, ‘We wished we had MEDCO.’ We say, ‘We’re lucky we do.’”
 
Completed in 2021, the new headquarters brought 70 jobs to Williamsport. “The new location has helped enormously with staffing,” notes Adams. “They love coming to work and being right there with a beautiful canal view.”
 
In recognition of MEDCO’s contributions, NPS presented MEDCO’s Executive Director with a Ranger hat — a rare honor for non-organization members, symbolizing the project’s monumental success.
 
“By 2070, we will have saved 14 million dollars by getting out of our lease cycle with the GSA. If we have the opportunity to partner with MEDCO again, we’d do it in a heartbeat,” finishes Adams.