Baltimore County Won't Bid on Massive GSA DepotJames Mosher The Daily Record 04/06/05 Baltimore County will not bid on a former aircraft assembly plant when it comes up for sale this summer. County Executive James T. Smith Jr. reached the decision after touring the 1.9-million-square-foot building in Middle River last week. Fronda Cohen, spokeswoman for the county’s Department of Economic Development, cited “sufficient interest” from the private sector for the decision. The department has given 20 tours to developers and has had numerous discussions, she said. “We don’t think it’s necessary to control the development,” she said. “In the past we’ve seen a need for public dollars to help stimulate private investment. This is not one of those cases. We’re very encouraged by the interest of the private sector.” Shawn T. Meyer, president of the Essex-Middle River Renaissance Corp., said he was “disappointed” with the decision. The renaissance corporation, a citizens group dedicated to the improvement of old buildings and neighborhoods, had recommended the county buy the building known as the GSA Depot to better insure a “positive mixed-use” development. “The community really needs something grand in that location,” Meyer wrote in an e-mail message. “If it remains a distribution warehouse and the self-storage buildings remain, it will remain an eyesore.” Despite the decision, Meyer said he’s impressed with the county’s level of attention. “It appears Baltimore County is heavily involved in marketing the depot for creative reuse,” Meyer wrote. “Apparently the Smith administration is working with Senator [Paul S.] Sarbanes’ office and the GSA folks very closely on this. Perhaps with all this cooperation we can get what we want.” The Depot, one of the largest buildings in Baltimore County, has been owned by the U.S. General Services Administration, an arm of the federal government, since 1964. The building, formerly part of the Glenn L. Martin Aircraft Co., is on 50 acres of land near the Route 43 extension, a hot area for office park development. The property is expected to attract handsome bids due to its close proximity to air, sea and rail transport. The GSA plans to begin taking bids late this summer. A meeting of the renaissance corporation is scheduled for April 11. Representatives of GSA and Baltimore County are expected to be in attendance. Smith is not planning on attending, Cohen said. The Depot is used as a data-processing center by the U.S. armed forces. Area residents last month offered many ideas for the property’s redevelopment. Among the suggestions were an air museum, condominiums, a recreation center and trade schools. The large number of ideas prompted the renaissance corporation to recommend the county buy the Depot and hold it long enough for a redevelopment favorable to most residents to be agreed to. The property would then be sold to a private concern, presumably at a profit. Other renaissance proposals to the county included delaying the sale and changing the site’s zoning from its current “heavy industrial” status. The county has taken no action on those suggestions. GSA officials said last week that the sale was going ahead as planned. GSA says it may keep the property if it deems bids too low.
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