CENTREVILLE — When Guadalupe Galindo and Carlos Olvera of Denton, met with Centreville Town Manager Carolyn Brinkley back in May, the couple had no idea that the discussion about building permits would open the door to the opportunity to receive a $280,000 Project Restore 2.0 grant to support their dream project of opening a restaurant at 102 N. Commerce Street.
The corner building has been vacant for nearly two decades and is at the crossroads of N. Commerce and E. Water Streets — two of the busiest streets in downtown Centreville.
The couple purchased the building in June 2023. Galindo and Olvera have 18 years of experience operating restaurants and have owned and operated Denton Pizza since August 2022. Unlike Denton Pizza, they are designing their new Italian style restaurant literally from the ground up.
Thanks to the $280,000 Project Restore 2.0 block grant awarded to the Town of Centreville/Centreville Main Street, the couple will receive much-needed support for rehabilitation, renovation and repair costs. “Carlos and I are so excited about the grant and appreciate how helpful everyone from the Town has been,” Galindo said.
Funded by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, the grant was one of 55 grants totaling $13,193,363, which were awarded to 55 place-based economic development organizations, nonprofit or local government entities that work to improve a specific jurisdiction within the state.
“Community growth and business growth are inextricably linked. When we invest in our small businesses, we invest in the neighborhoods they serve and the Marylanders they employ,” said Gov. Wes Moore in a recent Project Restore award announcement.
For Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day who visited Centreville this past March, projects like the one at 102 N. Commerce Street are part of an overall strategy to support small business growth and to bolster the creation of great and lovable places.
“To ensure the continued quality of our communities and to improve the quality of life for all their residents, we must revitalize their hearts — downtowns, Main Streets, and other important community hubs and places,” Day said. “This important funding will provide strength by supporting the growth of small businesses that provide local services and job opportunities and the events and attractions that make Maryland’s unique, varied communities such great and lovable places.”
At completion, the mixed-use project will feature six apartments and a restaurant. The Centreville grant will help offset costs for the first-floor commercial portion of the building and includes support for interior and exterior renovations, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC repairs, and equipment, furniture, fixtures, and interior décor. The anticipated completion of the project is November 2025.
For the Town, the project represents the culmination of a long-standing goal to activate and rehabilitate the building. “A key corner being vacant has sent the wrong message about the economic viability of our Town,” says Ashley Heffernan Kaiser, Esq., President of the Centreville Town Council. “Thanks to this Project Restore grant, Centreville will be welcoming a new business in 2025 in a property that has been vacant for nearly two decades,” adds Kaiser.
Galindo and Olvera have four children, ranging in age from 7 to 21 years old. Galindo is familiar with both the front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house restaurant operations. With her husband’s experience in construction, the couple is particularly well suited for taking on the comprehensive rehabilitation and build-out project at 102 N. Commerce Street.
“We’ve appreciated all the experience we gained over the years mostly managing other people’s restaurants,” Olvera said, “But now we have the opportunity to build our business from blueprints to grand opening.”
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