Lease Signing Will Clear the Way for Groundbreaking of New Fort Howard Veterans' Community

Artist’s rendering of Bayside at Fort Howard.

The VA Maryland Health Care System, together with project developer Fort Howard Senior Housing Associates, are close to signing a long-term lease for the construction of Bayside at Fort Howard, a unique, veteran-focused continuing-care retirement community.

The waterfront property, located 15 miles southeast of downtown Baltimore, is the 94-acre home of the former Fort Howard VA Medical Center, which originally opened in 1943.

The signing of the lease will clear the way for the two groups to finalize meetings with local residents and other veterans service organizations to discuss final project plans and timelines, as well as the pricing structure and square footage for the various units. A formal groundbreaking ceremony is anticipated in the fall of 2006 as construction on the first phase of the community begins.

Bayside at Fort Howard is the first community of its kind, the result of a unique collaboration between the VA Maryland Health Care System and Fort Howard Senior Housing Associates. Partners in this limited liability corporation include Federal Development, LLC, of Washington, DC, the Ambling Company of Valdosta, Georgia, the Whiting-Turner Company as general contractor, historic architects Kann and Associates and civil engineers STV, Inc.

Responding to the news of the impending lease signing, Dennis H. Smith, Director of the VA Maryland Health Care System, said, “This project represents a new and exciting opportunity for VA nationwide. For the first time, the VA will be entering into a lease agreement with a private developer to offer independent and assisted living facilities for the benefit of our nation’s veterans.”

Since 2002, when inpatient care services at Fort Howard were moved to more modern and convenient facilities at the Baltimore VA Rehabilitation & Extended Care Center and the Perry Point VA Medical Center, the VA has sought to preserve the historical significance of the campus and continue its service to veterans. “Fort Howard has a long tradition of improving veterans’quality of life, and now that mission is going to be renewed,”said Smith. “We are glad to be able to preserve this campus and at the same time offer a wonderful new retirement community that’s truly geared to the needs—and the budgets—of Maryland’s veterans.”

With that objective in mind, the new Bayside at Fort Howard community will offer discounts and priority placements on residences for veterans and their spouses. In addition to a new VA outpatient clinic, the retirement community will feature a diverse selection of active adult residential units, independent and assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. Residents will be able to transition from one type of residence to another to accommodate their needs over time. The community will also feature a veterans’museum, community theatre, activity center, marina, wellness center and recreational walking paths. A small retail center is also scheduled for construction to serve the residents of the veteran-focused retirement community.

The community’s master plan includes the restoration of existing historic structures, as well as the construction of new state-of-the-art facilities that will be designed to complement the residential and historic atmosphere of the campus. According to John D. Infantino, Chief Executive Manager of Federal Development, LLC, “Building Bayside at Fort Howard is a historic opportunity. We will be honoring the heritage of Baltimore County by preserving over 30 historic buildings and grounds dating back to the early 19th century.”

Infantino continued, “Most important, we will have created an environment where seniors, especially senior veterans and their spouses, can live their golden years in a spectacular and pristine waterfront setting that is affordable and specifically dedicated to serving the needs of veterans throughout Maryland. It’s the least we can do for those who have protected our country and our freedom.”
Smith agrees. “We anticipate that the retirement community will serve as a model throughout the country for better serving the needs of America’s aging veteran population,”he said.

To learn more about construction timelines, community amenities, housing options and pricing structure, veterans and their spouses can contact Bayside at Fort Howard on their toll free information line at 1-866-698-9731 or by e-mail at info@baysidefthoward.com. Additional information is also available at the retirement community’s Web site at www.baysidefthoward.com.