For the bill hearing on the redevelopment of Pimlico, my 41st District colleagues and I have expressed our support.

We wrote, “What is now essentially a vacant property, except for the third weekend in May, will become an attraction for Park Heights, northwest Baltimore communities, city residents, and countless visitors.”

The full text of our letter is at https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UOKyRh-HbUmDCtftGH8MkE2oVpNYdpgu

In my individual letter to the chair of the House committee that’s considering the bill, I wrote, “It will save the Preakness.  It will be the building block for the Park Heights community.”

 

Dear Chair Kaiser:

The Maryland Stadium Authority is highly regarded for building Oriole Park and M&T Bank Stadium.

That’s why I met with Tom Kelso, chair of the Authority, in December 2015 to discuss a study of the future of the Pimlico Race Course site.

That study was funded by the City, the State, and the Maryland Jockey Club.  It is the forerunner of the redevelopment project for Pimlico and Laurel that your committees will consider tomorrow.

As I was walking to the Preakness last May, I saw Michael Gaines, running the barbeque for Manna Bible Baptist Church, right across Belvedere Avenue from the entrance to the Pimlico parking lot.

Michael’s brother is the pastor of the church.  They want to develop Belvedere Place, a mixed-use project including 150 units of mixed-income rental housing.  My 41st District colleagues and I are working with the church to obtain state funding.

The benefits of House Bill 1056, the Racing and Community Development Act of 2020, are twofold.

It will save the Preakness.  It will be the building block for the Park Heights community.

I urge a favorable report on this historic proposal.

Yours truly,

Samuel I. Rosenberg