Middle Branch Master Plan Enters Next Phase
Planning Effort Includes Bold Equity Initiatives
June 9, 2021- Today, the Baltimore City Board of Estimates awarded a professional services contract to James Corner Field Operations of New York to lead the next phase in the Middle Branch Master Plan. This marks an exciting milestone in “Reimagine Middle Branch,” an initiative positing the Middle Branch of the Patapsco as Baltimore’s next great waterfront and the heart of South Baltimore’s richly diverse neighborhoods. The scope of work involves designing a network of world-class parks, trails, and recreation for 11 miles of shoreline, while fostering connections and economic opportunity in adjacent neighborhoods. Field Operations’ charge builds on the five goals of a “Project Brief” developed with stakeholder input: Inclusive Programs and Activities; Access and Connections; Economic Equity; Parks and Recreation; and Environment, Resilience and Health.
“I am excited to see this effort come to fruition under the banner of Reimagine Middle Branch,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “This project applies a true equity lens to neighborhood development and includes fundamental goals of my administration like prioritizing Baltimore youth and exercising responsible stewardship over city resources.”
Field Operations is the design lead for signature urban open space projects like New York City’s High Line and Freshkills Park, Seattle’s Central Waterfront, Memphis’ Shelby Farms Park, Miami’s Underline and Cleveland’s Public Square. The contract is funded with casino local impact grants overseen by Baltimore City and the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership (SBGP), and funds secured from the State of Maryland by the City and Parks & People Foundation. Baltimore City’s Department of Planning will oversee the contract in collaboration with Recreation and Parks and other City and State agencies.
“Middle Branch has long been an area of untapped potential for recreation, ecology, resiliency and community development,” said Chris Ryer, Director of Planning. “Field Operations brings world-class experience to this unique opportunity to create a unifying resource for South Baltimore’s communities and all of Baltimore, where the City meets the Bay.”
“South Baltimore communities have been disconnected from their own waterfront for too long,” said Michael Middleton, Executive Director of the Cherry Hill Development Corporation and Chair of the South Baltimore 7 Coalition. “Reimagine Middle Branch is about correcting that injustice and realizing the parks, trails, and programs our residents deserve.”
Field Operations was selected by residents and stakeholders through a year-long, invited design competition organized by the Parks & People Foundation. “As a native Baltimorean, justice and equity for the communities of the Middle Branch Waterfront are absolute essential elements of this project,” said Dr. Frank Lance, President and CEO of Parks & People. “I am pleased to affirm Field Operations understands this requirement and has committed to it for this project.”
“To achieve the project’s aspirations, we are excited to combine long-term planning with immediate and tangible initiatives, including student fellowships, a community design lab, and interim trail improvements, which all start this summer,” said Sarah Weidner, Principal of JCFO.
The consultant team will include local and national experts in landscape design and equity planning, including:
- Mahan Rykiel Associates, Baltimore-based landscape architects and planners who led the Project Brief phase;
- Kofi Boone, author of “Black Landscapes Matter” and Professor of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning at North Carolina State;
- DesignJones, LLC, co-led by Diane Jones Allen, formerly of Morgan State University, and Austin Allen;
- The Urban Studio, a DC-based interdisciplinary art and design collaborative focused on youth engagement.
In sponsoring the Project Brief, the City and SBGP set a direction that establishes bold new standards for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI), while ensuring that progress on projects and programs need not wait for completing the plan.
“Now more than ever, we need to take bold steps forward as a city,” said Brad Rogers, Executive Director of SBGP. “Reimagine Middle Branch shows that we’re not just dreaming it, we’re doing it now. We’re involving the community in building Baltimore’s next great waterfront with short-term wins, while creating a long-term vision that belongs to everyone.”
Thus, the Master Plan is just one of many strategies deploying casino local impact grant funds to build equity and opportunity in communities around the Middle Branch. These include:
- $900,000 for community development corporations to acquire properties in advance of gentrification;
- $500,000 for summer YouthWorks jobs, employing youth on environmental and community development efforts;
- Summer fellowships for Morgan State University graduate students to work on the design team;
- Supporting Black Yield Institute on creating a nursery that will grow native plants parks and wetlands;
- Recruiting Minorities In Aquaculture to launch a program in South Baltimore;
- Coordinating parks and trails with construction of the Middle Branch Fitness and Wellness Center;
- Installing a new Trash Wheel at the mouth of the Gwynns Falls to divert debris from the Middle Branch.
The Middle Branch Waterfront Master Plan is expected to take approximately 15 months with regular opportunities for community input including a Community Advisory Committee, public presentations, a project website, and multiple “site activation” events. Community members interested in participating can learn more and be notified of upcoming engagement events by visiting www.reimaginemb.com.