Community Info Session Recap - MBRI Project Updates & Upcoming Construction
Thank you to everyone who was able to join for the Middle Branch Resiliency Initiative (MBRI) Public Info Session on Tuesday, July 29, 2025 at the Middle Branch Fitness and Wellness Center. Here’s a recap for those who joined and a summary for those who were unable:
MBRI is laying the groundwork for realizing the community-driven vision of Reimagine Middle Branch. By re-establishing a natural, green wetland buffer, MBRI will:
Improve resiliency by reducing flooding and erosion that threatens our shorelines
Improve water quality by forming a natural filtration system for the Middle Branch
Re-establish waterfront greenspace and habitat quality, creating a space that is welcoming to community members as well as native plants and animals
We are scheduled to complete construction this fall on the two MBRI projects currently underway in Brooklyn: Hanover Street Wetlands and Patapsco Delta East. These projects prioritize restoring waterfront sightlines, reducing erosion and flood vulnerability on S. Hanover Street, and restoring lost habitat quality and diversity. They also lay the groundwork for restoring public pier access in Brooklyn, where the MBRI team will re-establish access to a pier that has become inaccessible due to shoreline erosion.
We will begin construction on our largest MBRI project to date—the MedStar Harbor Hospital Wetlands—in Cherry Hill this fall . The MedStar Harbor Hospital Wetlands will restore approximately seven acres of wetland along more than 2,000 feet of Cherry Hill’s shoreline. This is the first phase of the Cherry Hill South Shoreline Restoration. By re-establishing waterfront greenspace and habitat and reducing flood vulnerability around S. Hanover Street and the hospital, the MedStar Harbor Hospital Wetlands set the stage for subsequent phases, which include:
Creating safe connections between the Middle Branch Fitness and Wellness Center and the re-established wetlands,
Creating new waterfront gathering spaces for community members,
Treating stormwater runoff before it enters the Middle Branch to improve water quality,
Addressing rainfall-induced flooding on S. Hanover Street,
Restoring public fishing pier and kayak launch access,
And more!
Design will begin soon on subsequent phases, and we will follow up about how community members can engage in the process.
Construction impacts for the MedStar Harbor Hospital Wetlands should be limited to the MedStar South Lot and area offshore of MedStar Harbor Hospital. The southernmost side of the MedStar South Lot and adjacent trail section will be closed during construction with standard work hours between approximately 7:00am and 5:00pm. Please contact info@reimaginemb.com with any questions or concerns throughout the process.
Want to dig further into the details of MBRI? Watch a recording of the full info session here:
Reimagine Middle Branch, a community-driven initiative, is led by the City of Baltimore, South Baltimore Gateway Partnership, and Parks & People, working alongside a team of expert consultants, stakeholders, and Baltimoreans.
