Baltimore Grows

Mayor Sheila Dixon has decided that the city Fire Department’s waterfront? repair facility – located along Key Highway in South Baltimore – will become a public park.? There has been a lot of debate over the future use of the property.? It’s a prime waterfront location that sits adjacent to the Harborview community and the popular bar and restaurant Little Havana.

? The property was very close to being rezoned a couple years ago.? A move that would have led developers to bid on the property and likely build a mixed use project that included condominiums and retail space.? I attended some of these Key Highway Association meetings back when this was being debated.? Much of the community was in favor of seeing the property rezoned and rebuilt.? However, a few residents? raised concerns, and as a result the city backed away and included the property as part of the Key Highway Master Plan that it was creating.?

In one respect in would have been nice to see the property developed and put to good use, rather than just another dilapidated property sitting along Key Highway.? But in the end, it looks like the rethinking paid off.? A waterfront park will be? a nice addition to the community.? I wonder how this will affect some of the other proposed open/green space and view corridors along Key highway.? Another piece of land along Key Highway – at the bottom of Lawrence Street, roughly across from the Royal Farms – had been proposed as waterfront open space.? So I doubt there will end up being two parks located that close.? ? So this news will certainly shake up some of the existing plans along Key.

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