Rumors have been circulating for years about the future fate of the Wal-Mart and SAMS club in South Baltimore’s Port Covington area.  The latest rumors have indicated that the two stores will be closing as early as January 08 and that the retailers are replacing them with a SAMS in Glen Burnie and a Wal-Mart in Southwest Baltimore. 

The development of these two big box stores on waterfront property has been controversial form the beginning.  And it seems that the SAMS club does well but the Wal-Mart has never lived up to expectations.  A entire retail complex was originally planned and promised for the site - but years later the two super stores sit alone among unfinished parking lots.

A March 2007 Baltimore Business Journal article covered the subject in detail.

The spaces have remained blank nearly five years since a Connecticut developer opened the city’s first Wal-Mart in a once empty rail yard. And, by all indications, it seems the spaces will remain blank in the foreseeable future. The reason: Its original developer said it had no interest in staying at Port Covington for the long haul and its new owners have no immediate plans to develop the site.

Kodiak Properties LLC and Finmarc Management Inc. of Bethesda purchased the site that houses the Port Covington Shopping Center in early 2005.

However the new owners have stated that they have no immediate plans to develop the land.  Apparently they want to wait it out until market conditions are better - not sure when that would be.  There have been all kinds of retail and residential uses discussed for the area, but it seems that none of these have gained enough traction.  This article talked about one such plan.

The waterfront property with easy adjacent access to 95 seems too valuable and has too much potential to remain undeveloped - it’s just a question of what and when it will be redeveloped.  One bright spot of news for the area is the Port Covington Maritime Center, which is where Tidewater Yacht Services moved to from its former location on Key Highway next to Domino Sugar.

• More Port Covington Plans
• Port Covington Sam’s Club Closing is Official
• South Baltimore’s SAM’S Club Out, Wal-Mart Staying
• Interesting Port Covington Article
• News on Middle Branch