A New Milestone in the Revitalization of Downtown Towson

On Tuesday, I joined other county officials and local leaders at the , a 121-home development that will be built east of York Road near the Towson Manor Village and Burkleigh Square neighborhoods.

It was a milestone in the continuing revitalization of downtown Towson.

There are exciting commercial projects underway, such as theand the .   We’ve also seen high-rise residential buildings like the Palisades transform the skyline of Towson.  But Towson Green is notable in several respects.

First, it is a low-rise residential project spread out over nine acres in eastern Towson.   It reshapes a vast area of eastern Towson.

The project stabilizes a part of Towson that has experienced significant change as Towson University’s students push into the neighborhoods.

It embodies some of the best in “green” design standards, such as an innovative stormwater retention system.

And it was developed after close consultation with residents and community leaders, many of whom attended the ceremony.

As a freshman councilman, I am not going to take credit for the development of this project. The heavy lifting was done by my predecessor, Vince Gardina; by the administration of former County Executive Jim Smith; and by civic leaders such as Ed Kilcullen and Paul Hartman. The developer—Bozzuto Homes—deserves real credit for reaching out to the community.

When finished, this project will not only transform perhaps the densest residential area in Towson, but it will enliven the commercial core, which is within walking distance. It is part of the puzzle of pieces that needs to connect for Towson revitalization to become a reality.