Baltimore City Recreation & Parks has developed the Reedbird Park Master Plan in hopes of turning Reedbird Park in Cherry Hill into a regional destination. The site was a former landfill until the mid-1900s when it turned into a park.
The park currently includes the Cherry Hill Splash pool which has an attached building in need of renovation, along with aging tennis courts, basketball courts, and a playground. It also includes expansive green spaces.
In Recreation & Park’s Master Plan, the park will eventually get four multi-use sports fields, including one with a turf surface; a new fitness and wellness center; a dog park; new basketball courts; a new playground; an extended path system that connects to the Gwynns Falls Trail; fitness pods; plazas; pavilions; a field house; bike racks; and a parking lot.
Reedbird Park is along the Patapsco River, but much of the shoreline is blocked by large trees and plants. Recreation & Parks would like to cut some of this back to provide better views.
Recreation & Parks has worked with the Cherry Hill community on the plan for the park since 2011.
Phase 1 of the plan is the $16.5-million, 32,000 sq. ft. fitness and wellness center and a new parking lot. The money for this project has already been allocated by Recreation & Parks and it is hoping to break ground next Spring. The fitness and wellness center will feature a natatorium, gymnasium with a full-size basketball court, fitness areas, a classroom, a studio, a maker space, and a support area. The top of the facility will have an indoor walking track overlooking the different sections of the center.
Recreation & Parks has teamed with GWWO Architects and Floura Teeter Landscape Architects on the plan.
Phase 1b of the plan is the turf stadium which will take the place of the current site of the basketball courts, tennis courts, and playground along Potee St./Rt 2. This $1.5-million stadium is a partnership between the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, Baltimore City, and the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership, which manages casino local impact funds. All three of the partners are contributing $500,000 to this project. The partners are also working on two other turf stadiums which are planned for South Baltimore neighborhoods below the Middle Branch. Recreation & Parks is also hoping Phase 1b will begin next year.
There is no timetable yet for the subsequent phases of the Reedbird Park Master Plan, but Recreation & Parks Chief of Capital Development Adam Boarman told SouthBMore.com that he is working on securing funding for the continuation of this project. Boarman said that use of the fitness and wellness center will likely be free or have very affordable membership costs. He said the facility will also include some programming with fees.
Phase 2 of the project will be the three additional multi-use fields just west of the turf stadium and the dog park. Phase 3 will include a reimagining of the Cherry Hill Splash building and a field house.
Rendering courtesy of Baltimore City Recreation & Parks and GWWO Architects
Rendering courtesy of Baltimore City Recreation & Parks, GWWO Architects, and Floura Teeter Landscape Architects
Existing conditions
