1. What is Reimagine Middle Branch?

Reimagine Middle Branch is a community-driven initiative, focused on the transformation of the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River into Baltimore’s next great waterfront, 11+ miles of shoreline, parks, and trails connecting South Baltimore neighborhoods to the water and to one another. This will provide safe and healthy activities for community members and projects and programs that address the historic injustices that have divided South Baltimore residents from their waterfront.

Reimagine Middle Branch is implementing projects in South Baltimore while generating a long-term vision for the area that focuses on ensuring the existing local community is prioritized for future benefits, plays a leadership role in programming and projects, and is protected from the forces that lead to displacement.

The Reimagine Middle Branch Plan (“The Plan”) will guide this transformation which is grounded in four equity frameworks: Protect the Shoreline, Transform Barriers into Connections, Active And Inclusive Parks, Equitable Development. Together these frameworks will fully integrate the new park system with South Baltimore neighborhoods and catalyze local economic growth.

2. Who is involved in the planning and implementation effort?

Reimagine Middle Branch is being led by the City of Baltimore and the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership (SBGP), working in collaboration with Parks & People, SB7 Coalition, State agencies, and a variety of other local organizations. The Reimagine Middle Branch Plan is being created by a multi-disciplinary design team led by James Corner Field Operations that includes experts in landscape architecture, urban design, ecology, transportation, racial equity, and economic development. In addition, roughly 150 local residents and technical experts are serving on advisory committees that helped guide the Plan and will support the implementation process, and over 500 community members have given input via surveys and public input sessions.

3. What is the current status of the Reimagine Middle Branch Plan?

Efforts are already underway. A Project Brief establishing the goals for the Plan was completed in May 2021. Preliminary frameworks for design and planning principles were shared with stakeholder groups and the public at virtual meetings in September 2021 and February 2022. Plan updates guided with this feedback were shared with the public at a Public Meeting and Ice Cream Social in June 2022 and again in December 2022 ahead of the formal adoption process. The  Plan was adopted by Baltimore City’s Planning Commission on February 9, 2023. The vote signaled a commitment by Baltimore City and its partners to deliver parks, projects, and programs that unite 19 neighborhoods in South Baltimore by reconnecting them to one another and to the Middle Branch waterfront. Next steps for the Plan include continuing engagement with community residents, stakeholder groups, and technical experts in the development of individual projects and initiatives.

4. How long will this Plan take to be finished?

This is a long-term Plan, spanning steps to completion over 20 years, but many parts have already been started and completed.

5. Are any elements of the Plan being implemented now?

Yes. Several major projects are completed or under construction. Baltimore City’s Department of Recreation and Parks’ (BCRP) Middle Branch Fitness and Wellness Center, a $23 million regional recreation complex in Cherry Hill’s Reedbird Park, opened in the fall of 2022. The state-of-the-art complex includes a multi-sport turf field, which was completed in the fall of 2021. The field’s stadium lighting will allow for the field to be safely used by the community year-round for multiple types of sports and activities. The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, SBGP, BCRP and others funded this project. In addition, the Gwynns Falls Trash Wheel was installed in the summer of 2021. SBGP is leading efforts with the City and has secured significant funding for wetland restoration projects in South Baltimore that foster resiliency to climate change, improve the ecology of the area, and protect critical infrastructure supporting Baltimore communities. Design and planning is also underway to improve the trail system with grants that have been secured by the City. Other partnered projects in motion include the development of Florence Cummins Park in Westport, Solo Gibbs Park in Sharp-Leadenhall, the North Plaza of Conway Street Park in Ridgely’s Delight, the Curtis Bay Recreation Center, and the renovation of the Carroll Park Recreation Center in Pigtown. A forthcoming memorial park in Westport commemorating the Baltimore Black Sox Negro Baseball League is in the planning process with Parks & People as part of Reimagine Middle Branch’s African American Heritage District.

6. How is this project being paid for?

Funding for this work comes from a mix of sources: Casino local impact grant funds, managed by the City of Baltimore and by South Baltimore Gateway Partnership, are paying for the plan, as is a Maryland state capital grant. Casino impact grants also contribute to the $25 million total construction cost of the Fitness and Wellness Center and adjacent sports field complex. A mix of federal, state, and local grants of over $48 million has been secured for wetland construction and trail projects.

Additional sources of funding are continually being sought out and acquired as project steps are completed.

7. How does Reimagine Middle Branch address racial equity and environmental justice?

Equity and environmental justice are the heart of the Reimagine Middle Branch initiative, which is committed to delivering an environmental justice project with capital (constructed) elements, rather than a capital project that includes environmental justice elements. The team includes local and national justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (“JEDI”) experts, as well as a JEDI Committee of community members, who together shaped the Plan to include the following actions and activities:

• Creating job and education opportunities for local BIPOC students via a graduate fellowship program with Morgan State University’s School of Architecture, a paid internship Community Design Lab program in environmental planning and design for South Baltimore high school students, and a research, education and training program with the Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative (EJJI) that promotes citizen science and journalistic storytelling, and cultivates skills to connect to modern-day water-related jobs;

• Hosting community engagement events that promote educational and recreation programming to nearby communities while seeking input on the Plan, such as “Splash” in August 2021, a community engagement waterfront event and Public Meeting & Ice Cream Social in June 2022;

• Partnering with community and neighborhood leaders to develop a community-driven Plan;

• Distributing benefits equitably while concentrating investments in predominately BIPOC neighborhoods that have experienced historic disinvestment and injustices; and

• Integrating equitable economic development programs into multiple elements of the Plan, including how capital projects are implemented and creating new business and employment opportunities within parks and waterfront neighborhoods while supporting existing local businesses.

• An African American Heritage District that honors existing communities, past accomplishments, and untold histories, such as the forthcoming park commemorating Baltimore Black Sox baseball team in Westport.

8. How does the Reimagine Middle Branch Plan protect local residents from displacement associated with gentrification?

Avoiding displacement has been a central focus of the planning process with emphasis on wealth generation for local communities. Equity-based economic development strategies include:

• Supporting community-led real estate projects in the South Baltimore Gateway District with grants and connections to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). SBGP’s $3.5M Community Development Fund and the City’s additional $1.5M from the Casino Local Impact Fund (CLIF) program is expected to leverage up to $30M in support from CDFI partners who will seek to provide financing to support the transactions, as part of the South Baltimore Gateway Funding Consortium. This will empower qualified applicants to drive equitable development in their communities.

• Investments in local workforce and businesses; by increasing income potential and economic opportunities, current residents will be better equipped to thrive as investment comes to their communities;

• Better connection to job centers throughout Baltimore;

• Integrating job opportunities into public space programs and improvements; and

• Promoting policy tools that encourage increased population density and affordable housing.

These are goals Reimagine Middle Branch is moving towards through the implementation process with continued engagement with community members, stakeholders, and advisory committees.

9. How does the Reimagine Middle Branch Plan address water quality?

Reimagine Middle Branch seeks to make the Middle Branch safe for swimming and fishing in twenty years. The team is working closely with scientific experts in water quality, ecological, and climate resiliency fields to ensure the best course of action when moving forward with plans and designs. To do this, the Plan recommends a four-pronged approach:

• Constructed wetlands and green stormwater treatments in surrounding parks and street corridors, and around critical infrastructure;

• Improvements to conventional stormwater management including rebuilt drainage structures and additional trash wheel inceptors in key locations where stormwater empties into the watershed;

• Fostering community stewardship grounded in environmental education and outdoor recreation programming, in partnership with existing local programs and organizations; and

• Supporting policy changes and investments upstream along the Gwynns Falls and in other watersheds feeding into the Middle Branch.

10. How can community residents give input and feedback?

A complete vision for the Middle Branch is only possible with the continued creativity and expertise of its neighbors. With this in mind, the team created a robust community engagement process to inform and steer the Plan and will continue strong engagement during the implementation process. Members of the Middle Branch community, including residents and stakeholders, can learn about the project and give input in these ways: sign up for regular email updates on the project website, attend our public meetings and outreach events, complete public surveys, and follow Reimagine Middle Branch on social media.

11. How can I keep up with the latest news about this project?

Sign-up for our mailing list and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn @ReimagineMiddleBranch.