Irwin to step down March 31 from OCDC leadership post

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President Kevin Gibbs touted the successes of the nonprofit, which incorporated in February 2000 and welcomed Irwin in June of that year.

While recalling the members of the original 15-member board, Irwin described them as “a who’s who of Ocean City,” with big names such as Granville Trimper of Trimper’s Rides, Macky’s Bayside owner Macky Stansell and real estate company owner Terry Hough joining Mann,, who still serves as founder and chief executive officer of Mann Properties.

“So, it had a really good initial board,” Irwin said. “And it’s continued to have very good boards and presidents.”

But while the group was public and powerful, it was Irwin who did the legwork that steered the organization through its years of success.

Starting out as a one-man show, Irwin had a knack for finding money to get things done, Mann said. And over the years the efforts paid off as funds became available to give Irwin a small staff, create numerous public art and renovation programs, and move the organization to a dual purpose downtown building. The renovated house on Dorchester Street today contains the OCDC offices on the bottom floor with seasonal Beach Patrol housing above.

According to the information presented to the commissioners last week, through renovations programs spearheaded by Irwin and his staff, 270 buildings have been revitalized and renovated downtown. The work includes everything from facade improvements to green building initia-

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“He found in working through the state there was money available for extra renovation projects that we could grant individuals that were going to be a certain amount of work,” Mann said of the programs “And that took off like gangbusters. So many places were rehabbed, painted and spruced up, and it was just incredible.”

Irwin told the commissioners that the resort has renovated more exteriors through OCDC’s facade program than the city of Baltimore, which he considers a big accomplishment.

Besides encouraging building façade upgrades, OCDC also issues grants to help property owners replace fences, lights and roofs, and complete other renovations.

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