8 Companies Bid On County Properties

Baltimore County officials announced late Friday that it has received eight bids from groups interested in purchasing one of three properties placed on the market by County Executive Kevin Kamenetz.

Kamenetz announced in December that he would seek bids on the Towson fire station, North Point Government Center and a police substation in Randallstown.

"Government must look for new ways to address aging infrastructure needs while protecting taxpayer dollars," Kamenetz said in a statement released Friday afternoon.  "As the proposals are reviewed in the coming months, I remain hopeful that there will be offers that allow us to replace aging County buildings at no cost or reduced cost to the taxpayer."

The announcement of the sales have generated concern from residents of Towson and Dundalk.

In Towson, community leaders raised concerns about the re-location of the fire station. One option included building a new fire station on the existing Towson Manor Park.

In Dundalk, residents continue to oppose the sale of the government center which is home to a police station, a number of ballfields as well as community groups and services.

A new police station could possibly be built at Eastwood Elementary. That school is slated to close as part of a schools system consolidation that involves merging Eastwood, Holabird Middle School and Norwood Elementary School.

Dozen of Dundalk residents have attended council meetings over the last six weeks to voice opposition to the sale of the property.

Five companies bid on the Towson fire station property, located at 800 York Road, including:

• Vanguard Commercial Development, Inc., 1500 Serpentine Road, Baltimore, Maryland 21209. The company is owned by Bradley S. Glaser and Leonard Weinberg II.

• CVP - TF, LLC, 1 Olympic Place, Suite 1210, Towson, Maryland 21204. Caves Valley Partners redeveloped the Towson City Center and are now interested in the fire station property. The group includes a number of politically connected men including: Steven Fader, chief executive officer of MileOne Automotive Group; Arthur Adler, the former vice president of David S. Brown Enterprises and member of a task force appointed by Kamenetz to look at using liquor licenses for economic development; and Steven Sibel. The company is also involved in the development of the new Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore.

• Bosley Avenue, LLC, 9475 Deereco Road, Suite 200, Timonium, Maryland 21093. The company is owned by Blue & Obrecht.

• 800 York Road, LLC, 28 Walker Avenue, Pikesville, Maryland 21208. The company is owned by developer Mark Sapperstein, who developed McHenry Row in Baltimore City. 

• 718 York Road, LLC, 718 York Road, Towson, Maryland 21204. The company that owns the Towson Diner located at 718 York Road is seeking to purchase the county property that partially adjoins the restaurant parking lot.

Two companies bid on the North Point Government Center property including:

• Vanguard Commercial Development, Inc., 1500 Serpentine Road, Baltimore, Maryland 21209. The company is owned by Bradley S. Glaser and Leonard Weinberg II.

• Sollers Investors, LLC, 113 Westminster Road, Reisterstown, Maryland 21136. The company is owned by Powers Companies. Jeffrey Powers and Mark Powers are the principal partners.

Only one bidder expressed an interest in the Randallstown police substation:

• 101 Development Group LLC. The company is the development arm of Kennett Square, PA—based Genesis Healthcare located at 101 East State Street in Kennett Square, PA. The company owns and operates a number nursing homes and long-term care facilities.