Edited By: Katie Wennick

The Westport Waterfront development is a plot of land in Middle Branch that faces the picturesque Patapsco River. The property, bought by Patrick Turner, will feature a half-mile long mixed-use center of around 2 million sq. feet office space, including: 300,000 sq. feet of shops, restaurants and 2,000 homes. The scope of the completed project is expected to be five times larger than the Baltimore Inner Harbor.

We at Southbmore.com reached out to Turner Development, who is constructing the 1.5 billion dollar project, in hopes to get more details. Below is a question and answer session with Eric Turner to give an update on the project.

What is the status of the project?

We are working on the plans to begin the site work on the southern end of the Waterfront with hopes to start the site work sometime this fall. No official start or ground breaking date yet. We are working hard to get there. The next step we take is going to cost a lot of money and energy. Once we have a timeframe, we’ll have a pretty detailed schedule as to when and what portions of the site will be completed.

We noticed that there is new construction, but I believe it is just a parking lot. Is there a temporary plan for this area?

The parking lot you see on the northern portion of the site is a temporary lot we built to host the Cirque Du Soleil show [at] Totem last year. We also plan on using that area for temporary parking during construction. The plan is to start the site work on the southern end of the site first. So for right now, the parking lot will stay as just that.

Can you tell us any specific facts on the site plans that have been in development? The area was zoned for buildings taller than 60 stories, can you hint to any new project details?

A lot of the work going on right now that isn’t the glamorous portion of development. We are working on the infrastructure, utilities and getting the framework ready for the pad sites – where the buildings will go. As we get into final designs for each of the individual buildings, the final height for each building will be determined. For instance, we have approval to build a 60-story tower and I would love to build it.

How does the new development of the soccer stadium affect the Westport Waterfront project?

I am very excited about the possibility of the soccer stadium being a part of the development. We think it’s not only great for the site, but also for Baltimore. It’s a good problem to have if the stadium comes to Westport and if we have to redesign the northern portion of the site.

We have been talking with a lot of soccer fans around town who would love to see professional soccer in Baltimore. There’s still a lot of work ahead to make the stadium a reality, but we are doing what we can to make it happen.

How do you see the Westport Waterfront development transforming the Middle Branch River?

The waterfront portion we are working on is the largest proposed development in the area. Once we get underway, you will see a lot of redevelopment all over the neighborhood and Waterview Avenue. The waterfront portion is the spark that current homeowners and businesses need to be a part of.

With all the resources that are planned to come into the area, Westport is in a great position to prosper!

You can view the Westport Waterfront development at www.westportwaterfront.com.