Progress reports, milestones, and announcements about ongoing development projects
Site work has officially begun at Bainbridge! Yesterday, crews began initial clearing on the 422 acre Phase 1 development parcel. The photos attached show the conditions at the start and end of Day 1. The BDC Board will be providing a full update at their Annual Meeting scheduled for October 19, 2020. Please check BDC social media pages and website for meeting details (to be held virtually)!
PORT DEPOSIT — Almost a year after their last presentation to the mayor and town council, members of the Bainbridge Development Corporation reported that ground could be broken on the former naval training base soon.
“PORT DEPOSIT — Following the recent news that Amazon will open a facility in Cecil County, county and state officials say that there’s more buzz surrounding the possible development of the long-dormant Bainbridge property.
Officials were quick to note, however, that the site of the former U.S. Navy training center still requires significant investment in infrastructure and environmental remediation to be viable. County officials also did not outright dismiss a tax increase to pay for the costs, which are estimated to be at least $10 million…”
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The BDC is pleased to announce it has received an award of $1,000,000 from the Department of Defense’ Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) to fund a project to aid in the redevelopment of the former Naval Training Center at Bainbridge (NTCB).
The public was notified in 2008 of the environmental contamination on-site, which has placed hurdles on future development. The general development plan approved in 2005 to create a mixed use community was prepared before knowledge of the contamination.
Additional soil sampling and analysis is necessary in order to understand the potential risks of contamination, determine an appropriate remedial strategy, and reanalyze the development plan. Project tasks include a site characterization, risk assessment, remedial strategy, reuse plan, market analysis and data map. The grant term is September 1, 2016 through August 30, 2017.
In addition to the grant award, the BDC has had other significant events take place during this calendar year, including the completion of the NTCB 5-Year Review, increased prospect interest, and the completion of the Tome School Feasibility Study. The development team, MTPM, has also completed a data center study and conducted geologic investigations to aide in the location and development of specific land uses. Political engagement and involvement in Bainbridge at all levels has experienced tremendous support.
While Bainbridge was selected as a top contender for a manufacturing facility which could have created approximately 135 jobs and $145M in capital investment, the Bainbridge site was not selected due to lack of adequate available infrastructure. The Bainbridge property continues to receive interest from prospects, and it is our priority to work with the appropriate stakeholders to ensure adequate available wastewater.
A feasibility study was completed in July for the Historic Tome School, funded in part through USDA, which reported significant challenges for its redevelopment prospects.
Any questions can be directed to Donna Tapley or Toni Lozzi at 410-378-9200.
UPDATE, AUGUST 31, 3016:
The BDC presentation of the Tome School Strategic Plan Report has been rescheduled for September 20, 2016 at the Port Deposit Town Council Meeting. Once presented, the report will be avaialble publically via the “Documents” tab on the BDC website.
UPDATE, AUGUST 16, 2016:
The August 16th Town Council meeting was cancelled. The Tome School report will released during the next open public session. Once presented to the Town Council the BDC will publically release and post the report on our website.
AUGUST 8, 2016:
The BDC, in partnership with Weston Solutions and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Business Development Grant Program, has completed their opportunities and constraints analysis and will be publicly unveiling the Tome School Feasibility Study at the Port Deposit Town Meeting on Tuesday August 16th. This will be the first public sharing of the report.
The opportunities and constraints analysis was a detailed investigation and analysis of the economic, market and real estate data of the region, weighed with the unique opportunities and constraints at the National Historic Tome School (geography, location, environment, historic easement, etc.) to determine the highest and best use of the campus and the buildings.
“PORT DEPOSIT — It’s going to take support from all levels of government to transform the 1,200-acre former U.S. Naval Training Center at Bainbridge into an economic engine to benefit all Maryland citizens.
That’s the message delivered Monday by Bainbridge Development Corporation Executive Director Donna Tapley and Chairman Michael Pugh to representatives from Port Deposit, Cecil County, the state of Maryland and the federal government.
“We hope this meeting could help us push this project forward,” Pugh said. “We need your help.”
BDC officials briefed the delegation and others Monday on the status of the redevelopment of Bainbridge.
“Some say nothing is ever going to happen there, but I’m optimistic,” said Delegate Kevin Hornberger (R-Cecil) on Monday after a site tour and follow-up meeting at the Donaldson Brown Center ended.
About 20 officials and staff attended the meeting and tour.
“There’s really two separate sites on the property,” Pugh explained for the benefit of several participants that were seeing Bainbridge for the first time.
The largest site, which potentially could be the quicker site to redevelop, is the roughly 1,200-acre former Navy base. Despite the fact that there is site-wide soil contamination, Pugh said industrial use wouldn’t require remediation, so the BDC could attract prospects at that site right away, if it can receive county funding for sewer service in this year’s budget.
“Commercial projects would require some remediation, but not as much as is required for residential use,” Pugh said. “That’s why the plan has changed to focus on nearly 800 acres for commercial and/or industrial users.”
A 50-acre adjacent parcel, which was formerly the Tome School for Boys campus, is the other focus of development for the BDC, which has a new proposal to expand that site to include an additional 100 acres to help entice more interest.
Since the former Tome School site is on the National Register of Historic Places, it increases the cost of redevelopment, which adds another challenge, according to BDC leaders.
The only buildings that remain at the former school are in disrepair, which Pugh says has been caused from years of neglect that started when the Navy still owned the property.
Adding to the problem was a devastating fire in September that severely damaged Memorial Hall, which was thought by many to be the premier building at the Tome School site.
After years of ups and downs, the BDC is now focused on getting the U.S. Navy to pay for environmental cleanup costs. At the same time, the BDC is seeking sewer funding that will enable it to attract companies to the site sooner rather than later. In conjunction with sewer funding, officials are in the process of applying for enterprise zone designation and sustainable communities designation, which would open the door for grants and tax credits.
They are already showing business prospects the site.
“We’d like the state delegation to support improvements to the Interstate 95 interchange at Route 222, and we need funding for Tome School,” Tapley said. “We need the county’s support on the sewer and our federal delegation’s help to put pressure on the Navy.”
The BDC is waiting for the Navy’s response to a new appraisal that was done on the property in February.
“We have to hold the Navy accountable for what they did to this town and this county,” Tapley said.
State Sen. Stephen Hershey (R-Upper Shore) is concerned that the condition of the buildings at Tome School may cost too much to restore.
“One option would be to take it off the Historic Register, but Tome School is near and dear to Port Deposit,” Tapley said. “Right now, there seems to be interest to restoring it.”
Hornberger believes the state delegation has a chance to make serious changes in the county.
“This is one of the biggest opportunities we have to do something positive for Cecil County,” he said. “We’ve got over three years to figure this out.”
Pugh thanked all the officials who attended Monday’s meeting.
“There’s no reason we can’t make this happen if we all agree and go in the same direction,” Pugh said. “It’s the BDC’s mission to be an economic engine, maybe we’re a slow engine, but we have a capable development partner and new leadership.” ”
“It seemed appropriate that the county’s Economic Development Commission (EDC) was at the Donaldson Brown Center to hear a talk about the development of Bainbridge.
Brown was a financial titan of his era and the mansion, perched on a cliff with breathtaking views of the Susquehanna River, is a testament to his prestige and love of this area. From what I have heard about him, Brown would have loved this challenge.
Bainbridge Development Corporation (BDC) executive director Donna Tapley said she is looking for the support and energy of the EDC to help make Bainbridge a priority economic development site in the county.
As the economy has improved, there have been more prospects tapping on Bainbridge’s door to look at the enormous, undeveloped site. Unfortunately, infrastructure issues, lack of incentives and the need to get the U.S. Navy to settle on continuing pollution problems have made it difficult to get anyone to sign on the dotted line.
Tapley said one of the partner developers even brought a prospect exclusively to Bainbridge, but the same prospect was working through the state and was directed to another site in Cecil County. County Economic Development Director Lisa Webb explained that prospects are assigned different names by economic development entities to allow companies to freely look at options without setting off alarms where they currently base their business so the county office had no idea the BDC and county economic development office were working with the same company.
But the BDC wants to get an equal footing in order to set the hook and reel-in prospects. They are actively looking into Enterprise Zone status for Bainbridge as well as a designation of a Sustainable Community. Both come with incentives for those companies that settle there.
The BDC also has plans to increase the sewer capacity and add sewer pipes. They will look for funding sources.
Artesian Water, which offers water within Port Deposit’s town limits, has said they can get 240,000 gallons of water to the serve the site within 60 days, if needed, Tapley said.
The Navy was given a revised appraisal which is being reviewed.
While some may lament that it seems that it is taking forever for the Navy to act, Tapley said the Navy is being very responsive.
“The Navy exceeds their usual pace with this,” she said.
One of the things the BDC is trying to get across to the Navy is that the community has suffered losses because of the initial lack of movement to get rid of pollution problems and the time that has elapsed since new pollution issues were discovered by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2010. Tapley said these include the town needing to turn their water resources to a private company, the loss of a partner who was rehabbing the old Tome School and the loss of Cecil College’s math and tech building which was slated to be constructed on the Bainbridge site, but had to be moved to the North East campus or the college would have lost funding for the project.
Throughout this long process with the Navy, the BDC decided they needed to revise their concept for the site. They first wanted to get Bainbridge to be more of a research and development facility, but have broadened their vision to include distribution and manufacturing.
This new plan was unveiled before Port Deposit’s town board in January and presented to the County Executive and Cecil County Council in February. Tapley said the BDC is now working with the town to modify their comprehensive plan and zoning to work with the new concept.
Tapley said the BDC views the arson at the Tome School’s Memorial Hall as being catastrophic, but vows the site will someday be rehabilitated and put to good use. Anyone who takes on the project will find that 100 acres of land around the historic school is included in the deal.
Tapley said she is before the EDC to get ideas and encouragement for Bainbridge’s development. It is the same reason that the town of Port Deposit is planning informational signs in the downtown and why there are regular tours of the site – to get the buzz going about the possibilities at Bainbridge.
Bainbridge is at a critical point, Tapley told the EDC. She expressed optimism that the BDC’s plans will result in Bainbridge becoming an economic asset to Cecil County.”
By: Cheryl Mattix and Jane Bellmyer, Cecil Whig
Photo by Cheryl Mattix
Bainbridge Development Corporation and developers for the 1,200- acre former U.S. Navy base unveiled a new, more industrial vision for the property Tuesday to Cecil County Council.
At the same time, they reached out to the county to help them get 600 feet of new sewer line extended from the property to the county-owned sewage treatment plant in Port Deposit.
“Sewer line extension is critical to move this forward,” said Ken Michaels, a development partner for Bainbridge, along with John Paterakis and Richard Alter.
“This would allow us to actively market the property,” BDC Chairman Michael R. Pugh added.
“We all need to work together to get this connection done,” he said, calling it “the single most important issue right now.”
Michaels said his best guess is that officials could start development at Bainbridge by the end of this year, depending on a settlement with the Navy and meeting their water and sewer needs.
This new vision is primarily commercial and industrial usage with only 150 acres at the former Tome School site set aside for a mixture of office, educational and residential uses.
“Our original vision is un-doable now because of the amount of mitigation needed for residential development,” Pugh said.
The new vision is thought to be more practical and less costly by those involved.
“It’s more short-term achievable,” Pugh said.
BDC leadership has been negotiating with the U.S. Navy for the last few years to find a way to clean up the site, pay for it and redevelop the 1,200 acres into a viable taxable use, which would also create jobs and boost the economy.
Port Deposit Mayor Wayne Tome likes the new plan, which was presented to the town council a week earlier.
“We’re going to work with the Bainbridge Development Corporation to resurrect it,” Tome said Tuesday. “We’ve already been talking about it.”
One of the first projects for the town is to change its comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance to include this new concept, which scales back houses in favor of industry. The town also has to annex a small portion of land that was missed 20 years ago when a majority of the Bainbridge was annexed into town limits.
“We’re looking at light industrial, straight up to warehouse distribution,” Michaels said.
“We’ve had at least six new seriously interested prospects,” said Donna Tapley, executive director of the BDC, indicating that they lost a “really good food distributor prospect.”
Michaels confirmed the loss, saying the prospect needed to move quickly and needed a water and sewer promise, which the developers were not able to make.
He told the county council Tuesday that his development group is moving ahead with an economic feasibility study for the new vision.
“Industrial use generates one heck-of-an income and a lot of taxes,” said Michaels, who has been in the real estate development business in Maryland for more than 50 years. “You’ll be flabbergasted.”
Tome said he is prepared to work with the developer to make the new plan a reality. What he doesn’t want, however, is for the property to become nothing but warehouses.
“We want some high-tech companies in there,” he said. “There’s still potential for some of that.”
For Tome, productivity is the key to the success of the project.
“The site is not producing any jobs, it’s not producing any tax revenue,” he said. “I’m tired of the ups and downs.”
Michaels said he believes Bainbridge is “the perfect place for an industrial park.”
“It’s got electric, gas, railroad, water and access to Interstate 95,” he said. “What else can you ask for?”
The development partners for the bulk of Bainbridge have no contractual obligation to the formerTome School site, Pugh explained to the county council.
“We set aside 100 acres to accompany the 50 acres of Tome School as an ancillary parcel to make it more attractive to a developer. Under any scenario, this site will require some heavy lifting,” Pugh said.
In the short-term, the BDC and the development team hopes to attract commercial industrial users to the site, admitting they have more hoops to go through, but they feel it is a viable solution.
