Keisha Allen of Westport in South Baltimore wants to see investment that brings townhomes, affordable housing and green spaces, especially parks, to the area’s undeveloped waterfront.

ONE Westport, a site predominantly developed by Stonewall Capital, has plans to bring all of that to a vacant 43-acre parcel along Kloman Street, land purchased by the developer in 2021. But plans conflict with a proposed transportation project that has been in talks for at least a decade — a high-speed maglev train in the Northeast.

“If they have their way, then everything we worked to do in the community is shattered,” Allen said.

In September, the South Baltimore 7 Coalition, a nonprofit that represents Westport and other neighborhoods in the area, shared their support for the $10 billion maglev train project with a possible stop in Cherry Hill. Allen and other Westport residents, however, say that declaration of support doesn’t reflect the stance of everyone who lives in the area.

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The coalition represents several communities — Mount Winans, Curtis Bay, Cherry Hill, Brooklyn, Westport and Lakeland — and representatives from the nearby Port Covington development are also involved. Allen, the president of the Westport Neighborhood Association, said a vote was taken to gauge whether the coalition would show support for the project and seek a community benefit agreement. A community benefit agreement is a contract between a developer and community groups or organizations that details how a developer will contribute benefits to local communities in exchange for supporting a project.

Only half of the communities voted in favor, Allen said, and a representative from Curtis Bay abstained. Lakeland, Cherry Hill and Mount Winans voted in favor of the support. Westport and Brooklyn voted against it.

Michael Middleton, chair of the coalition and executive director of the Cherry Hill Development Corporation, said the coalition’s bylaws state that if at least two board members request a meeting about a certain subject, he’s obligated to organize it. It’s the reason a meeting was held to vote about the maglev project, with the stipulation that a community benefit agreement should be established with Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail, the developer of the Baltimore-Washington Superconducting Maglev Project, which would run from Baltimore to Washington, D.C.

Middleton said that South Baltimore has been a “long-ignored” area of the city and the rail project is an opportunity to enhance economic development. Westport residents, he continued, have made their position clear, but he’s hopeful a compromise can be reached.

“I understand their desire to enhance their community … my belief is that it’s possible we can have both [projects],” he said.

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Lisa R. Hodges-Hiken, executive director of the Westport Community Economic and Development Corporation, said that they’ve long expressed disapproval of the maglev project. The Light Rail and Interstate 295 already come through the community, she said, and the maglev train would further divide Westport.

“They’re an existential threat to the residents of Westport,” she said.

The Superconducting Maglev is a high-speed rail line that can travel over 300 mph, managing a trip from Baltimore to D.C. in 15 minutes with an eventual expansion to New York. A maglev train is currently in construction in Japan to connect Tokyo and Nagoya by the year 2027.

Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail CEO Wayne Rogers said that Baltimore is currently an island because it doesn’t have sufficient transportation to connect it to other cities. A maglev train, he said, can change that narrative.

“We think it is going to be able to transform Baltimore,” Rogers said.

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The maglev train, he added, would provide thousands of jobs in construction alone and the project addresses other factors like climate change by decreasing dependency on cars.

Rogers said original plans for a maglev train prioritized not having to disrupt homes or cause displacement in the area. Stonewall Capital’s purchase of the 43-acre property and the development of housing on the land has disrupted the plan for the rail system, and the two parties were unable to reach an agreement.

For over a year, Stonewall Capital and Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail have been in a legal battle over the property. Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail filed a lawsuit to condemn the property, but the case was dismissed in Baltimore City Circuit Court. Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail then appealed that decision with the Court of Special Appeals, which overturned the circuit court’s decision.

Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail said that a railroad franchise that had been abandoned by the Washington, Baltimore, and Annapolis Electric Railroad Company was transferred to them in 2015.

Stonewall Principal Ray Jackson said there were doubts about whether the rail operator could afford to purchase the land they’re attempting to condemn. In June, Stonewall Capital and Westport Capital filed a motion to require Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail to post a bond. The case is ongoing.

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Jackson said development plans continue to move forward. When asked about the recent support from the coalition, Jackson said he was shocked, especially after he spent months asking residents what they wanted out of the parcel of land.

“I’m surprised SB7 would allow an announcement to be made before due diligence has been done,” he said.

jasmine.vaughn@thebaltimorebanner.com

Jasmine Vaughn-Hall

jasmine.vaughn@thebaltimorebanner.com

Jasmine Vaughn-Hall

Jasmine Vaughn-Hall is a neighborhood and community reporter at the Baltimore Banner, covering the people, challenges, and solutions within West Baltimore. Have a tip about something happening in your community? Taco recommendations? Call or text Jasmine at 443-608-8983.

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