ALPHA GENESIS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

NSV Phase 1 The North Star Village (NSV) consists of a three-phased capital project that honors the life and legacy of Harriet Tubman. This project will beautify and rehabilitate the buildings and outdoor properties located around the world-renowned Harriet Tubman "Take My Hand" Mural created by artist Michael Rosato. Phase 1 of the NSV focuses on the rehabilitation of the now vacant, Historic Bambricks Card and Gift Shop building located at 428 to 432 Race Street in Historic Downtown, Cambridge, MD. Once this historic building is renovated, it will house five new minority-owned retail businesses on the first floor. The second floor will become the new headquarters office for Alpha Genesis CDC. It will also contain a 1,000 square foot rear outdoor exhibition deck overlooking the viewing area of the Harriet Tubman mural. The exhibition deck will be free and open to the public, with several exhibits about Harriet Tubman, the local history of Dorchester County, MD, and Maryland's Eastern Shore. On the first floor, Alpha Genesis CDC will open it's first youth entrepreneurial program. The venue is called Minty's Ice Cream Treats and More, honoring Harriet Tubman, whose childhood name was Araminta, but she was affectionately called Minty. Each class will run from September through June, with the option for students to work during the summer. The target student age range is 14 to 18 years old. The students will learn business management, financial literacy, public speaking, personal hygiene and development, civic engagement, local history, confidence, creative problem solving, and critical thinking. The Minty's ITM program was awarded a grant to purchase a 12-passenger van to transport the students to and from the program. All of the tenants on the first floor are recipients of the ReStore 2.0 grant sponsored by the MD Department of Housing and Community Development. This grant offers subsidized rent, start-up capital for equipment, and inventory. We anticipate being fully operational in the building by December 2025.

NSV Phase 2 The purpose of this project is to renovate, beautify, and maximize the viewing area surrounding the nationally acclaimed Harriet Tubman "Take My Hand" mural created by artist Michael Rosato. This mural has brought thousands of visitors to our historic downtown however, the mural is located in a back parking lot with garbage cans, broken asphalt, and limited accessibility. Phase 2 of the North Star Village project creates a partnership with the City of Cambridge and the state of Maryland to create a multipurpose outdoor pavilion encompassing the mural, a 10,000 sq. ft. parking area. The pavilion is called the Harriet Tubman Pavilion, which sits adjacent to Cannery Way, an open space owned by the City of Cambridge. This area will host outdoor concerts, a public art gallery as well as outdoor festivals. During the pandemic, the outdoor appeal of this venue has made it extremely attractive for visitors seeking safe outdoor spaces. Once renovated, this area, which also shares the rear lot with the Harriet Tubman Museum and Education Center (stop #3 on the Underground Railroad Byway), will consist of several components. First, a solar panel called the Harriet Tubman Pavilion, that will provide shade and covering for the mural viewing area; the North Star Station a small building which will provide public accommodation for the hundreds of tourists who travel great distances to view the mural; and a community garden which pays tribute to Harriet Tubman and her travels on the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman's extensive knowledge of natural plants and herbs exemplified her resourcefulness and adaptability, qualities that were essential for survival during her perilous missions on the Underground Railroad. Honoring Harriet Tubman through this grassroots initiative provides a place of remembrance and reflection that speaks to the resilience of our community. This gives the Cambridge community the ability to implement a narrative of growth, healing, and progression, not only for residents but for the nation at large. The Harriet Tubman Pavilion and surrounding improvements exemplify a commitment to equitable spaces where Tubman's legacy and the community's identity can thrive in a setting worthy of their importance. This pavilion will continue building connections for the local community and for the thousands of visitors who come to Maryland to experience the most powerful Underground Railroad storytelling destination in the world.