New Baltimore industrial hub announces retail development

Tradepoint Atlantic, a 3,100-acre industrial hub now taking shape in Baltimore Harbor, this week unveiled plans for a 130-acre, mixed-use retail park on the former site of the nation’s largest steelmaking facility.



FedEx has signed a lease for a 300,000 sq.-ft. distribution facility and Harley-Davidson will move its training facility to the site, which offers 3,000 ft. of frontage on I-695 and exposure to 43,000 households in the surrounding area.



Tradepoint Atlantic’s management envisions a 50,000-sq.-ft. grocery store, a drug store, a gym, and QSRs on the 150,000-sq.-ft. retail tract. It has set aside two hotel sites and seven freestanding pads, with one designated for a gas station and convenience store.



Research from JLL, which has been retained as the retail leasing agent, shows that $68 million in consumer spending leaves the neighboring town of Dundalk, Maryland, each year due to lack of retail options.



“This new development will revitalize this area so residents can shop near home and enjoy a first-rate buying experience without a long commute,” said JLL senior VP Greg Ferrante.



Tradepoint Atlantic is being erected on the former site of the Bethlehem Steel plant on Sparrows Point, a peninsula attractive to industrial tenants for its easy access to railroads, highways, and deep-sea shipping. The developer pegs their employees as the primary customers for convenience retail.



Challenged by foreign competition, Bethlehem Steel filed for bankruptcy in 2001. Five subsequent owners failed to make a go of “The Point” as the operation was called, and all steel-making ceased in 2012. The developer has committed $48 million to ensure adequate funding for clean-up of the site requested by federal and state regulators.