ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the purchase and redevelopment of the Hurst property, located at 9770 and 9790 Washington Boulevard in Laurel. The RFP can be found here.
“We are excited about the revitalization of our Route 1 Corridor, as called for in Howard County’s General Plan – HoCo By Design. A significant employment, industrial and retail hub, Route 1 is a major north-south commercial corridor along the east coast,” said Ball. “The sale of this long vacant property aligned with a vision of economic and community revitalization, will start a new, bright chapter for this historical and vital corridor to Howard County.”
Located just two miles south of the historic town of Savage, this 1.92-acre parcel of land is positioned slightly north of the highly visible and heavily traveled Whiskey Bottom Road/US 1 intersection. The property, which has been vacant for more than a decade, is located in North Laurel and falls within the County’s Route 1 Corridor revitalization area.
In 2018, the County launched a Route 1 Corridor master planning initiative to develop recommendations for revitalization strategies specific to Route 1. Developed with the help of community input, the plan’s vision focuses on preserving Washington Boulevard as an industrial employment and transportation corridor. One revitalization strategy includes the County’s transformational Route 1 Tax Credit Program, which assists commercial and industrial property owners along the Route 1 Corridor with renovating and improving the appearance of their properties.
Moreover, in 2024 the Maryland Smart Growth Subcabinet renewed the County’s Sustainable Community designation for the North Laurel-Savage area. This designation ensures the County remains eligible to apply for state programs, grants, tax credits and loans that may be used throughout the North Laurel-Savage Sustainable Community area. This renewal extends the North Laurel-Savage area’s Sustainable Community designation for another five years, through 2029.
With the sale of this property, the County seeks to identify and select a developer who will complete a development on the former Hurst property that benefits the community, promotes the goals of the Route 1 revitalization and comports with the County’s General Plan, HoCo By Design, and Route 1 Corridor Plan.
The County has retained the services of Chartwell Enterprises, a commercial real estate services firm, to advise and to help the County evaluate development proposals received in response to this RFP. An evaluation committee will make a recommendation to the County Executive as to the proposal which best meets the requirements of the County for the disposal and redevelopment of the Hurst property.
Questions or comments regarding the RFP submission and/or process should be submitted to the County at realestate@howardcountymd.gov and to Patricia Restrepo with Chartwell Enterprises at patricia.restrepo@
Responses to the RFP are due by 4:00 p.m., Monday, October 21st and should be sent concurrently to realestate@howardcountymd.gov and patricia.restrepo@
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