There was a time when the sprawling complex of factories north of Baltimore was the very symbol of America's industrial might. Today one part of the site has given rise to a new vision of industrial real estate.
Back in the late 1920s, the Glenn L. Martin Co. established an aircraft manufacturing center on 1,260 acres of land in Middle River where it built some of this nation's leading military airplanes, including many bombers used during World War II. At one point during the war, the plant employed more than 50,000 factory workers.
By 1960, the Martin Co. had exited the airplane business in favor of producing missiles and rocket parts and merged to become, first Martin Marietta, and then later into what is now known as defense giant Lockheed Martin.
While some rocket and aircraft production work still occurs in Middle River, several of the older plants have sat unused for decades.
Reich Bros., a White Plains, New York-based company that specializes in repurposing underutilized industrial properties, paid $52.5 million back in 2021 to acquire a pair of old plant facilities and recently refashioned one into a nearly 1.3 million square logistics hub. Much of the facility at 2800 Eastern Blvd. was leased to two large warehouse and distribution companies, earning it an Impact Award as judged by real estate professionals familiar with the market.
"I think this redevelopment is extremely impactful given the history of the site and how long it sat vacant in the interim. It is also very impressive after two years of redevelopment that the property is mostly leased," wrote Chris Lamb, an Impact Awards judge and vice president of asset management for Beatty Development Group.
About the Property: The new logistics park has been dubbed Aviation Station and sits near the Glenn L. Martin State Airport, the former Martin Co. plant airport that is still in use by civil and military aircraft and run by the state of Maryland.
What the Judges Said: "The property has a challenging neighbor with Martin's airport and so it was innovative to create these logistic buildings knowing that would be a great neighbor to a loud neighboring airport," wrote Lacey Johansson, assistant vice president for leasing at St. John Properties.
They Made It Happen: JLL Executive Managing Director Benjamin Meisels, Managing Director Greg Ferraro and Vice President Robert Maddux oversaw property management and leasing. The owner and developer of the project is the industrial real estate firm Reich Bros.
Senior market manager Nina Thilert contributed.