A 1996 fire at the Hollywood Theatre marked a turning point for the commercial center of Arbutus. The movie house was a community gathering place and center of activity. With the help of a
Baltimore County loan, the Hollywood Theatre was reconstructed and now anchors a renewed commercial core. Once again, the Arbutus tradition of “movies and a snow cone at the Kold Kiss stand” thrives.
More than $1.42 million in private investment has transformed the Arbutus commercial area. A long-vacant grocery store is now a studio for a nationally-published photographer. A block-long stretch of businesses has been renovated and visually unified with an updated facade and signage.
Convenient service and retail shops, restaurants and medical offices serve nearly 300,000 people in the neighborhoods of Arbutus.
The village character of the area was enhanced in 2002 through a $1.1 million County streetscape along Oregon Avenue. New trees and shrubs, sidewalks, streetlights and stoplights highlight a renewed Arbutus core.
Baltimore County
Department of Economic Development
400 Washington Avenue Towson Maryland 21204
Phone 410-887-8000
Revised January 17, 2007
Courthouse 