The U.S. General Services Administration will auction the former Glenn L. Martin plant in Middle River, county officials announced Monday, opening the historic 50-acre site to redevelopment.
An online auction of nearly 2 million square feet along Eastern Boulevard will go live June 28, said officials from Baltimore County?s economic development office, who hope to replace the warehouse with a mixed-use commercial, office and residential project. The federal government has been using the buildings for storage for the past 20 years.
“We?re looking for adaptive, creative reuse or mixed use,” said Bill Jones, the office?s representative for waterfront areas. “There are all kinds of options.”
The site, once a Martin aircraft plant during World War II, is on the county and states? landmarks list and is eligible for the national registry, which could restrict redevelopment options. The property is zoned for industrial use, Jones said, but developers will likely be able to pitch other uses under the county?s Renaissance legislation.
County Executive Jim Smith chose the Essex-Middle River community for the pilot of his Renaissance redevelopment program, allowing redevelopment to go through a “fast track” approval process if developers choose to apply guidelines adopted by residents. The GSA?s Office of Property Disposal will manage the sale, officials said.
“This historic property can become a signature destination in a waterfront community that is seeing a renaissance in commercial, residential and business investment,” Smith said in a statement.
The site is located adjacent to the Middle River MARC station, the new extension of Maryland 43 and the 1,000-acre Crossroads@95 business park. The county is hosting a tour of the building for interested developers in late June.
