State Center Transit-Oriented Development Plan
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Client: Maryland Department of Transportation
Parsons Brinckerhoff Role: Land Use Planning, Urban Design
The $3 billion State Center transit-oriented development (TOD) plan provides a concept and implementation strategy to optimize the potential of a 110-acre (45-hectare) underutilized site in midtown Baltimore. The site—currently dominated by state office buildings and parking lots—is served by a subway station, a light rail station, and the city’s Amtrak and regional commuter rail station.
Parsons Brinckerhoff worked with the Maryland Department of Transportation, the Maryland Department of General Services, and the City of Baltimore, with extensive stakeholder input, to examine the site’s redevelopment possibilities. Parsons Brinckerhoff led a charrette approach that gathered a broad range of stakeholder input—from small neighborhood organizations through representatives of state and regional interests—to develop the plan in under a year.
The plan features residential, office, institutional, retail, cultural, and entertainment facilities as well as a new hotel and a system of parks and open spaces—all integrated into existing neighborhoods.
The revitalization of the area is expected to result in increased employment, a range of housing options, a positive change in the perception of transit as a safe and desirable commuter option, and enhanced local revenues from private investment.
Parsons Brinckerhoff provided land use planning, urban design, market analysis, cost-estimating, and community outreach services and assisted the client with the selection of a national developer to implement the strategy.