This article appeared on Washingtonpost.com on Thursday, March 17.
By Associated Press
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Legislation that would require neighborhood participation in any effort to revive a stalled redevelopment project at State Center in midtown Baltimore is advancing in Maryland’s state legislature.
The Baltimore Sun reports that delegates gave preliminary approval Saturday to the bill sponsored by Del. Cheryl Glenn. It spells out the General Assembly’s goals for the 28-acre parcel, now occupied by a state government office complex with 50-year-old buildings that need repair.
Plans for a mixed-use development at the site date back to the early 2000s, but the start of construction has been delayed for years by a lawsuit.
The legislation calls for any new State Center project to include state agencies as the lead tenant. It also requires retail stores, offices, restaurants and a grocery store.