Delegation forms State Center advisory plan, gets MDOT briefing; community leaders press for connectivity and safety

Senate Bill 818, introduced by Senator Hayes, seeks to update previous State Center legislation and establish a reconstituted State Center advisory group to ensure neighborhood organizations and local anchor institutions have ongoing input into redevelopment of the roughly 240–248 acre State Center complex.

"State Center is a huge transit hub," Hayes told the delegation, noting the site’s adjacency to the metro, major bus routes and light rail and listing institutions near the site, including the University of Maryland Midtown campus and the Baltimore Museum and Symphony. He said the prior State Center Alliance, a neighborhood nonprofit, is defunct and that this bill would name local community organizations and anchors to a new advisory group.

Lee Tony, president of the Bolton Hill Community Association, said he has lived in Bolton Hill for 45 years and described State Center as "more than a big site with some buildings in it" — a transportation hub and a connector for cultural institutions. He urged the state and any future developers to "build a bridge and not have a barrier" between Bolton Hill, McCulla Homes public housing and downtown. Tony also flagged pedestrian safety and local land-use and engineering issues raised by building conditions.

Witnesses and community members said the state has issued an RFP for a consultant to assess building conditions, environmental issues and engineering constraints; some buildings have underground garages that could make demolition costly. Testimony said the department expects a full consultant assessment by the end of March and that the proposed advisory group would receive and help interpret that analysis.

The delegation then heard a briefing from Acting Transportation Secretary Thompson (introduced in the hearing as Transportation Acting Secretary Thompson). Thompson summarized her background in federal transportation and said she returned to state service to deliver projects "at the ground level." She told the delegation MDOT will "advance $24.5 million for Be More Bus in FY27," splitting that amount into $14.5 million for property acquisition for a fifth bus division and $10 million for design and engineering to accelerate planning that had been scheduled for later years.

Thompson said MDOT intends to pursue broader outreach and more direct engagement with affected communities, including models that embed community advisors throughout planning. She also addressed maintenance and safety, saying the current administration has made historic investments in the system and that MDOT is covering "roughly 90% of the state of good repair safety needs" cited in testimony.

Members raised a range of district concerns — dangerous intersections (Howard Street, Northern Parkway and York Road), interjurisdictional connections (Lock Raven, Hillen Road) and pedestrian safety — and pressed for near-term improvements as planning continues.

Next steps: the delegation heard the testimony and discussed the advisory-group structure and timeline; a consultant report and subsequent community engagement are expected to shape any redevelopment or procurement decisions.