County leaders break ground on new shooting range

CECIL COUNTY — The Cecil County Public Safety Training Center and Gun Range is set to open in 2026 along Route 40 in North East to provide a secure, sound proof space fr both law enforcement officials and citizens to practice their marksmanship skills.

On Monday afternoon, County Executive Danielle Hornberger, local elected officials, county leaders and project team members broke ground on the state of the art indoor shooting range along Route 40 near Charlestown Crossing.

The Cecil County Department of Parks and Recreation will operate the range as it serves the larger Cecil County community and functions as a training facility for the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office to provide a space for them to conduct required firearm training.

The facility will provide ten lanes, each with a 50 meter range, as well as training and administrative areas.

“Our residents deserve a safe and convenient place to exercise their Second Amendment rights, and our law enforcement officers deserve a reliable facility where they can hone their skills in order to best serve and protect our communities,” said Hornberger. “This facility does both of those things.”

This idea came about when the State of Maryland told local government that CCSO wouldn’t be able to use the State Park gun range anymore before some major remediation and fees being assessed by the State of Maryland were completed and paid.

“What was most concerning is the thought that the State could limit or even eliminate access at any time,” said Hornberger. “So we had to do something. Our residents should have a safe and convenient place to exercise their second amendment rights and our law enforcement officers need a reliable place to train and hone their skills as well.”

County government, along with the Department of Public Works, the Sheriff’s Office, and Parks and Recreation found a solution by providing a secure facility for citizens and law enforcement to hone their firearm skills.

In addition to the shooting range, the building will also hold classroom spaces which are available for rent by nationally or state-accredited certified firearms instructors and organizations who need an indoor training facility.

There will be a nominal fee for Cecil County residents to use the facility, while non-residents will pay a higher rate. This is a model used by Parks and Recreation for other public facilities to fund maintenance and operating costs.

The Engineering & Construction Division of Cecil County Department of Public Works will manage the project, with Nowland Construction Services from Newark, Del. as the primary contractor.

The project cost totals to $10.35 million, and the majority of the funding comes from federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grants that the county has received, with an additional $1 million grant issued by the State of Maryland.

This facility will neighbor the new Paramedic Station 2, which is also being constructed with ARPA funds. Federal funding guidelines stipulate that both the range and paramedic station be operational by Dec. 31, 2026.