Projects leading to increased economic, transportation, housing choices, and environmental improvement in Essex are now eligible for state funding, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development said Monday.
Essex earned the designation of a Maryland Sustainable Community based on a joint application submitted in April by the Baltimore County Department of Planning, the Eastern Baltimore County Task Force, and the Chesapeake Gateway Chamber of Commerce.
The groups combined to develop a "comprehensive strategy to encourage and guide local investment," Baltimore County Government said in a statement. Plans for specific strategies will be submitted to the State as funding requests.
The Essex Sustainable Community Area is a mix of residential communities and the Eastern Boulevard Commercial Corridor, stretching 4,233 acres from the Back River Bridge to just over the Middle River Bridge, abutting the Lockheed Martin Property.
The Maryland Sustainable Community Program grants designated communities five years of open eligibility for state programs and resources to fund partnerships that support revitalization and reinvestment in older communities.
“We are pleased that the State has recognized the tremendous potential in the Essex community and the Eastern Boulevard business corridor,” said Baltimore County Executive Don Mohler. “The County’s Department of Planning has worked with each community to help identify unique opportunities for enhancing the health, housing, small business climate, and quality of life in these areas.”
