Baltimore County's first large-scale revitalization effort began in 1996 with the release of the Eastern Baltimore County Revitalization Strategy. This document was a collaborative effort between several county agencies and community and business organizations. The plan called for intervention in communities suffering decline due to the loss of manufacturing jobs. The county quickly focused on Essex/Middle River as the place to begin. Several World War II-era apartment complexes in the area had become substandard. Their units were too small. There was no central air conditioning. Kitchens and bathrooms were a half-decade behind the times. Two of the largest complexes suffered from management neglect that often left tenants in unsafe, unhealthy living conditions. Many tenants were crying out for help. Ironically, these complexes - most of them now demolished or redeveloped - are near the waterfront. As public agencies and community leaders tackled the problems around the troubled apartment complexes, they also explored the potential of the waterfront. Now, six years later, Essex and Middle River are showing visible progress. 
The Riverdale apartment complex on Eastern Avenue in Essex was home to hundreds of families for more than 50 years. In recent years, Riverdale suffered severe neglect by a derelict landlord. The decayed buildings harbored drugs and crime. In partnership with HUD and the state of Maryland, the county purchased and demolished the Riverdale Apartments. The county Office of Community Conservation helped tenants move to better housing. The Office of Economic Development spearheaded efforts to encourage private developers to invest in the property. In late January of 2002, the county broke ground on WaterView, a new neo-traditional neighborhood of 175 single-family homes to be built where Riverdale once stood. The project will feature a new Mars Supermarket and a day care center. WaterView is the cornerstone of the county's comprehensive revitalization effort for the east side. A consultant hired by the county is working with community and business leaders, including owners of three existing marinas, on a plan to realize the potential of the waterfront at the headwaters of the Middle River, within walking distance of WaterView. The county wants to stimulate private investment in a project that might include upgraded marinas, a few shops and a restaurant or two. The county is making significant progress with plans to transform the Village of Tall Trees from a troubled apartment complex to a signature neighborhood park. Soon, more than 50 acres will be available for strolling and recreational activities. This park will dramatically enhance the quality of life for residents of the new WaterView neighborhood and thousands of families who have been living in Middle River area for generations. Under the C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger administration, the county razed portions of the Tidewater Village apartment complex; the remaining units have been thoroughly renovated. The renovated rental units - reconfigured in a team effort by the county, the landlord and federal officials - now are called Whispering Woods and serve as a model for renewing substandard units. The Office of Community Conservation has helped establish adult literacy and after-school programs in this community. A playground on the site was funded by the Weinberg Foundation, a financial resource that receives administrative assistance from the Office of Community Conservation. A portion of the razed section of Tidewater Village will become passive recreational open space and serve as a crucial link to the recently acquired, 90-acre Eastern Regional Park and the Dundee and Saltpeter Creeks Park with its recently opened nature center. Federal authorities shut down the crime-ridden Chesapeake Village apartment complex after it failed to meet its financial obligations. The county has acquired the site and is meeting with community representatives to make plans for a waterfront park. A $5 million streetscape of Eastern Boulevard is under construction, scheduled for completion by the end of the year. This streetscape will address longstanding pedestrian safety concerns and aesthetically improve the Eastern Boulevard corridor. Revised February 15, 2003 | 
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