Blue Ocean to acquire Middle River Depot

The historic Middle River Depot, a declared “Opportunity Zone” by the State of Maryland is now likely and finally looking at a serious buyer. As of April 2019, a Baltimore based real estate firm, Blue Ocean, is now under contract to obtain the sprawling piece of property. In the grand scheme of real estate properties, it would be interesting to see what this acquisition would mean for Baltimore County.

Baltimore and Blue Ocean

The present condition of Maryland’s real estate is promising. The Homeownership Incentive Program is enticing locals to buy up available properties. A company founded in 2004, Blue Ocean has established a reputation for acquiring and developing a wide range of properties. Some of them being commercial, some residential apartments, and even dabbling into the hospitality sector. Based on their official website, there are plans to rebrand the property to “Aviation Station”. While no concrete plans have been established by Blue Ocean, they mention revitalizing existing structures to cater to industrial users and those with recreational forms of businesses.

Middle River Depot History

The Middle River Depot has deep roots. Founded in 1929, it was primarily used to develop and build B-26 Martin Marauder Bombers that were made famous during World War II. This property has always signified progress, innovation, and industry. It is worth noting that the Middle River Depot property has long been federally owned and has been looking for successful bids since 2006. The long vacancy has long been a point of concern for many like Councilwoman Cathy Bevins. With the pending sale on the horizon, this can mean new jobs and businesses at an ideal location that’s highly accessible.

Previous Failures to Launch

The expansive 1.9 million sq.ft. property has had a lot of speculation about it through the decades. At one point, there were talks about turning it into a massive Walmart or a gigantic music venue, as published by the Baltimore Sun. However, none of these deals grew to fruition and the property remained a sort of an eyesore for the community of Baltimore County.

Hopefully, with Blue Ocean aiming to acquire and rebrand the Middle River Depot, there will be new life that will spring from a long stale location. Only time will truly tell if the grand plans will grow beyond its developmental phase. All that everyone may agree on is that this chance for new growth for a historic area has been a long time coming.