PORT DEPOSIT, Md. — Raising the flag over the site of the Bainbridge Naval Training Center in Port Deposit has been 46 years in the making.
In 1976, the flag came down on the facility, which had turned out a quarter of a million recruits for the World War II.
Ramona Bunn traveled from her home in Kentucky to join the women’s reserve unit.
“I probably would have made it a career, but then I married an Army guy from the proving ground,” said Bunn.
Now, the center is being reactivated as the Bainbridge Logistics Center with warehouses planned on more than 400 acres of the 1100-acre site with the potential to create as many as 2,000 jobs.
Located just a few miles from Interstate 95, this project follows others that are boosting the local job market.
“From the continued success of Principio Business Park, which is home to major distribution facilities including General Electric and Restoration Hardware and Amazon,” noted Gov. Larry Hogan who joined in the ceremony on Thursday.
This project, though, had to clear a hurdle few others have once contamination turned up on the site.
“Large particulate of asbestos is a big part of it so that’s just something they had to check and make sure there weren’t more and what the remediation would look like,” said Cecil County Executive Danielle Hornberger.
Now, it’s clear sailing, and Ramona Bunn says she’s hoping the site’s makeover may provide new careers where she left her navy one behind decades ago.
“My grandkids are in Florida now, but that’s a big opening for them, and they love Maryland,” said Bunn.
