NORTH EAST, MD — Cecil College marked a major milestone in its campus transformation Monday with the ribbon cutting of a new Facilities Building and the opening of Mary Maloney Boulevard, a project leaders say strengthens access, sustainability, and the college’s long-term commitment to student success.
The ceremony drew dozens of community members, faculty, staff, and foundation leaders to the northern edge of campus on a cold December morning, where college officials unveiled the modern, 16,000-square-foot Facilities Building and a new secondary campus entrance designed to improve traffic flow and safety.
The building, designed to achieve LEED Silver certification, represents a forward-looking investment in infrastructure that college leaders say will support daily operations while reinforcing Cecil College’s role as a regional economic and educational anchor.
“This is another important milestone for Cecil College,” Board of Trustees Chair Raymond W. Hamm Jr. said, crediting collaboration between state and county government as essential to the success of community colleges like Cecil.
Mary Maloney Boulevard, the new entrance road, is strategically located just south of Gilpin’s Falls Covered Bridge along Route 272. The roadway provides a secondary access point to upper parking lots and athletic fields on the eastern side of campus and includes a lighted pedestrian walkway connecting the new facilities to the main campus.
The boulevard is named in honor of Mary Maloney, a trailblazer in Maryland public service who in 1970 became the first woman elected as a county commissioner in the state. Later appointed by former Gov. Harry R. Hughes as a trustee of then-Cecil Community College, Maloney went on to become the institution’s first Trustee Emerita, leaving a lasting imprint on the college’s growth and governance.
Cecil County Executive Adam Streight said the project reflects years of planning and investment and will provide safer, more efficient access for students and staff. He called it the type of infrastructure investment needed to support educational institutions and long-term regional growth.
Cecil College President Dr. Mary Way Bolt used the occasion to reflect on Maloney’s leadership and values, describing her as a figure who understood the difference between authority and lasting leadership and who viewed public service as an opportunity to lift others. Bolt said Maloney’s influence is visible throughout the campus today.
The new Facilities Building sits adjacent to the Cecil College Foundation’s Cedar House offices and features high-bay open-ceiling workspaces, storage bays, and an administrative core designed to support campus operations efficiently.
College officials said the project aligns with Cecil’s broader mission as it serves a diverse student body of roughly 2,200 credit students and 2,700 continuing education students, offering more than 75 degree and certificate programs to meet regional workforce and educational needs.
As the ribbon fell and the new entrance officially opened, college leaders framed the moment as more than a construction milestone — describing it as a visible symbol of Cecil College’s evolving campus and its commitment to preparing students for success well beyond graduation.
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