ELLICOTT CITY, Md. — Historic Ellicott City is getting more national attention.
Seven businesses along Main Street will be featured on Good Morning America Tuesday. A couple of the “sharks” from ABC’s Shark Tank also spoke to the business owners virtually to give them tips and advice about weathering the COVID-19 pandemic, said Howard County officials.
Old Ellicott City has gone through its fair share of struggles over the last four years, with two major floods in 2016 and 2018 and now a global pandemic.
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said he’s excited to have the spotlight on the historic town, especially given what the business and homeowners have endured over the years.
“Ellicott City has shown the level of resiliency, and frankly, Ellicott City’s story is America’s story,” he said. “One of hope, one of pushing forward and one of adapting to meet a future.”
Old Ellicott City was just featured on Gordon Ramsay's Show "24 Hours to Hell and Back". One of the businesses on that show, Jaxon Edwin Social House, recently announced it is being forced to close due to COVID-19.
Ball said 36 businesses on Main Street received grant money as part of the HoCo Rising grant program, to help stores and businesses throughout Howard County get through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That’s going to help them with the personal protective equipment (PPE), to make sure that their workers and their patrons are safe, make sure they can pay rent and get to the other side of this,” Ball said.
You can watch the segment about the businesses on Main Street in Old Ellicott City during the 8am hour on Good Morning America, which airs on WMAR.
