Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan late last week was part of a ceremonial flag-raising that signaled the reactivation of the site of the former Bainbridge Naval Training Center and the beginning of development for a 3.7 million square feet of logistics and distribution space on 40 acres in Cecil County.
Established in 1941, nearly 245,000 recruits were trained at the Bainbridge Naval Training Center throughout World War II. The center was reactivated in 1950 after the U.S. entered the Korean War. The facility was decommissioned by the United States Navy in 1976 and formally transferred to the State of Maryland in February of 2000.
Since that time, Cecil County and the state have struggled to redevelop the site on the northeast edge of Maryland.
Logistics and distribution centers offer a redevelopment opportunity since the inventory remains tight, with neighboring New Castle County seeing millions of square feet of development, primarily from Amazon.
“The entire mission of our state government continues to be keeping Maryland open for business, and today represents the culmination of tliterally decades of effort to do just that as we officially kick off the redevelopment of more than 400 acres of land in this key location along the I-95 corridor,” said Hogan. “There is a major distribution and logistics market in this region, and the development of Bainbridge will be a tremendous asset and help us continue to meet the need for more and more companies seeking to do business in our state.”
The governor was joined by Cecil County Executive Danielle Hornberger and other officials.
Established in 1941, nearly 245,000 recruits were trained at the Bainbridge Naval Training Center throughout World War II. The center was reactivated in 1950 after the U.S. entered the Korean War. The facility was decommissioned by the United States Navy in 1976 and formally transferred to the State of Maryland in February of 2000.
Cecil County was an early beneficiary of a boom in distribution centers along the I-95 corridor. The Principo Business Park, a short distance from Bainbridge, covers more than 1,600 acres and is currently home to distribution facilities and office space for companies that include General Electric, Restoration Hardware, and Amazon.
In July, Great Wolf Lodge broke ground on its largest resort, which will be located in Perryville. Highline Warren, a manufacturer, and distributor of automotive products opened a new distribution center in Elkton. In October, Also Yoga and Bella+CanvasB, two Los Angeles-based clothing brands—opened a distribution center in North East.
Other distribution centers in Cecil County include grocers Lidl and C&S, Ikea, Rite Aid, Smithfield Foods and medical supplier Medline.
