State Center – Development – Contract, Plan Requirements, and Advisory Group

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1619*

HOUSE BILL 1619
C8, P2 6lr3663
CF SB 818
By: Delegate Wells
Introduced and read first time: February 20, 2026
Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

State Center – Development – Contract, Plan Requirements, and Advisory 2
Group 3

FOR the purpose of altering certain requirements related to the development of a certain 4
project at State Center; establishing a State Center Advisory Group; and generally 5
relating to the development of State Center. 6

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – State Finance and Procurement 8
Section 10A–403 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13

Article – State Finance and Procurement 14

10A–403. 15

(a) IN THIS SECTION , “ADVISORY GROUP” MEANS THE STATE CENTER 16
ADVISORY GROUP. 17

(B) This section applies to the project development of the 28 –acre State–owned 18
property in Baltimore City bordered by Dolphin Street, North Howard Street, Martin 19
Luther King Boulevard, and Madison Avenue, commonly known as State Center. 20

[(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, the State or its reporting 21
agency may not enter into a new or modified contract or plan for the development of State 22
Center unless the new or modified contract or plan includes provisions that require: 23
2 HOUSE BILL 1619

(1) an enforceable community benefits agreement between the developer 1
and the State Center Neighborhood Alliance, Inc. to provide for a concerted and coordinated 2
effort by the developer and the community throughout the entire planning, development, 3
and construction phases of the project; 4

(2) a comprehensive local hiring plan for the project that includes goals for 5
short–term construction jobs, long–term employment opportunities, and job training; and 6

(3) an economic improvement plan for the project that includes goals for 7
the use of minority– and women–owned and locally owned businesses.] 8

(C) (1) THE STATE OR ITS REPORTING AGENCY SHALL CONVENE A STATE 9
CENTER ADVISORY GROUP. 10

(2) THE PURPOSE OF THE ADVISORY GROUP IS TO: 11

(I) PROVIDE COMMUNITY IN PUT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF 12
STATE CENTER; 13

(II) LEVERAGE BENEFITS FROM THE DEVELOPMENT O F STATE 14
CENTER FOR NEIGHBORHOODS AND RESIDENTS IN THE SURROUNDING AREA; AND 15

(III) FACILITATE TRANSPARENCY AND INFORMATION –SHARING 16
BETWEEN THE DEVELOPE R, THE STATE OR ITS REPORTING AGENCY , AND THE 17
COMMUNITY SURROUNDING STATE CENTER. 18

(3) THE ADVISORY GROUP SHALL CONSIST O F THE FOLLOWING 19
MEMBERS: 20

(I) THE PRESIDENT, OR THE PRESIDENT’S DESIGNEE, OF EACH 21
NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION LISTED IN THE BALTIMORE CITY DEPARTMENT OF 22
PLANNING’S COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION DIRECTORY THAT IS LOC ATED IN WHOLE 23
OR IN PART WITHIN A 1–MILE RADIUS OF STATE CENTER; 24

(II) A DESIGNEE OF EACH A NCHOR INSTITUTION DE SCRIBED 25
UNDER SUBSECTION (D) OF THIS SECTION; AND 26

(III) A DESIGNEE OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING ENTITIES: 27

1. ARENA PLAYERS; 28

2. BALTIMORE ALUMNI CHAPTER KAPPA ALPHA PSI 29
FRATERNITY INC.; 30
HOUSE BILL 1619 3

3. BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA; 1

4. DRUID HEIGHTS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 2
CORPORATION; 3

5. GRAND LODGE PRINCE HALL MASONS; 4

6. HERITAGE CROSSING RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION; 5

7. MCCULLOH HOMES RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION; 6

8. MADISON PARK IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION; 7

9. MARBLE HILL ASSOCIATION; 8

10. MIDTOWN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION; 9

11. MT. ROYAL IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION; 10

12. MT. VERNON BELVEDERE ASSOCIATION; 11

13. PENNSYLVANIA AVE REDEVELOPMENT 12
COLLABORATIVE; 13

14. SETON HILL ASSOCIATION; 14

15. UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE; 15

16. UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL SYSTEM 16
MIDTOWN CAMPUS; 17

17. UPTON PLANNING COMMITTEE; 18

18. URBAN LEAGUE BALTIMORE; AND 19

19. A FAITH –BASED ORGANIZATION L OCATED WITHIN A 20
1–MILE RADIUS OF STATE CENTER. 21

(4) (I) IF AN INDIVIDUAL WHO SERVES ON THE ADVISORY BOARD 22
AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD AS SOCIATION IS EMPLOYE D BY AN 23
ANCHOR INSTITUTION, THE INDIVIDUAL SHALL REPRESENT ONLY THE I NTERESTS 24
4 HOUSE BILL 1619

OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND MAY NOT REPRESENT THE IN TERESTS 1
OF THE ANCHOR INSTITUTION. 2

(II) THE ADVISORY GROUP SHALL: 3

1. ADOPT A POLICY ON CO NFLICTS OF INTEREST FOR 4
MEMBERS AS PART OF THE GOVERNANCE PROCEDURES OF THE ADVISORY GROUP; 5
AND 6

2. DEVELOP A CONFLICT –OF–INTEREST DISCLOSURE 7
DOCUMENT. 8

(III) THE ADVISORY GROUP MAY ADDRESS ANY CONFLICTS OF 9
INTEREST AS SET FORT H IN THE GOVERNANCE PROCEDURES, INCLUDING BY 10
REQUIRING A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOC IATION TO APPOINT A DESIGNEE TO THE 11
ADVISORY GROUP WHO IS NOT EMPLOYED BY AN ANCHOR INSTITUTION IF DEEMED 12
NECESSARY TO RESOLVE THE CONFLICT. 13

(5) (I) THE MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY GROUP SHALL ELECT 14
ONE MEMBER TO SERVE AS CHAIR OF THE ADVISORY GROUP BY MAJORITY VOTE OF 15
THE MEMBERS PRESENT AT THE MEETING TO ELECT A CHAIR. 16

(II) THE CHAIR OF THE ADVISORY GROUP SHALL SERVE FOR A 17
TERM DESIGNATED BY THE ADVISORY GROUP. 18

(III) THE CHAIR OF THE ADVISORY GROUP SHALL CONTINUE TO 19
SERVE BEYOND THE TERM OF OFFICE UNTIL A SUCCESSOR IS ELECTED. 20

(IV) THE CHAIR OF THE ADVISORY GROUP SHALL PROVIDE THE 21
MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY GROUP WITH ALL NOTICES RECEIVED BY THE CHAIR. 22

[(c)] (D) Any new or modified development contract or plan shall, to the e xtent 23
possible, include: 24

(1) [State agencies as the major anchor tenant ] ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS 25
THAT PROVIDE PUBLIC OR COMMUNITY SERVICES, WHICH MAY INCLUDE UN ITS OF 26
THE STATE OR BALTIMORE CITY, AS THE MAJOR TENANTS; 27

(2) space for retail, housing, offic es, restaurants, and other private 28
businesses; 29

(3) a high–quality, full–service grocery store; 30

HOUSE BILL 1619 5

(4) [parking facilities designed to reduce parking impacts on the 1
surrounding communities; 2

(5)] elements designed to increase the connection of State Ce nter to the 3
surrounding communities; and 4

[(6)] (5) green space. 5

(E) (1) THE STATE OR ITS REPORTIN G AGENCY AND ANY DEV ELOPER 6
WHO IS PARTY TO A CONTRACT OR PLAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF STATE CENTER 7
SHALL ENGAGE WITH TH E ADVISORY GROUP THROUGHOUT THE PLANNING AND 8
DEVELOPMENT PROCESS , INCLUDING BY PROVIDI NG UPDATES ON ANY PU BLIC 9
APPROVAL PROCEEDING. 10

(2) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY O THER PROVISION OF TH IS TITLE, THE 11
STATE OR ITS REPORTIN G AGENCY MAY NOT ENT ER INTO A NEW OR MOD IFIED 12
CONTRACT OR PLAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF STATE CENTER UNLESS THE NEW 13
OR MODIFIED CONTRACT OR PLAN INCLUDES PROVISIONS THAT REQUIRE: 14

(I) A COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL HIRING PLAN FOR THE PROJECT 15
THAT INCLUDES GOALS: 16

1. FOR SHORT–TERM CONSTRUCTION JOBS; 17

2. FOR LONG –TERM EMPLOYMENT OPPO RTUNITIES; 18
AND 19

3. FOR JOB TRAINING; 20

(II) AN ECONOMIC IMPROVEM ENT PLAN FOR THE PROJECT 21
THAT INCLUDES GOALS FOR THE USE OF MINOR ITY– AND WOMEN –OWNED AND 22
LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES; AND 23

(III) A COMMUNITY BENEFIT AGREEMENT BETWEEN TH E 24
DEVELOPER AND THE ADVISORY GROUP. 25

[(d)] (F) The State or its reporting agency shall [include the State Center 26
Neighborhood Alliance, Inc., and any other interested community association in: 27

(1) any selection process for a new development contractor; and 28

(2) the development of any new plans for the State Center project or any 29
proposed modifications to existing development contracts for the project ] ENGAGE IN 30
6 HOUSE BILL 1619

COMMUNITY CONSULTATI ON DURING THE DEVELO PMENT OF STATE CENTER 1
THROUGH COMMUNICATION WITH THE ADVISORY GROUP. 2

[(e)] (G) A developer who is a party to a new contract or plan for the development 3
of State Center shall use best practical efforts to begin construction within [18] 24 months 4
after execution of the new contract and any associated plans. 5

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 6
October 1, 2026. 7