Is Essex Really Revitalized, or Is there Still Work to Do?

In the 1950’s and 60’s the little town of Essex was a bustling community.

The business district in the 400-500 blocks of Eastern Boulevard was loaded with every kind of store that any consumer could ever dream for. We bought our groceries at the A&P. We ran “right to Read’s” Drugstore to get our prescriptions filled.

Manny, Moe & Jack replaced our old car batteries and tires. Woolworth's had the glassware and dinnerware we needed. For relaxation, we could bowl at the New Essex bowling alley or watch a movie at the Elektra or New Essex Movie Theaters.

Dungarees and sneakers for school came from John’s Bargain Store. B Bugatch carried the furniture we needed. If all that shopping made us hungry, we could stop by Uncle Eddie's or the Submarine Haven to grab a quick bite to eat. All the conveniences for modern day living located within walking distance for most residents. Everyone seemed happy and content.

Suddenly, without warning, for some reason or reasons things began to change.

A slow but steady decline began to appear in the business district in the early part of the 1970’s. It could have been the construction of the Middlesex Shopping Center or Golden Ring Mall. Rents may have drastically increased. Dips in sales could have occurred. Nevertheless, for whatever reason stores in Essex began to close their doors permanently. It got to the point that in the mid 1970’s Essex was beginning to look like a ghost town.

From what I have been told, at that time local residents approached their elected officials to see what could be done to attract another grocery store and drug store into the business district and again within walking distance of their homes.

Thus began the “Revitalization of Essex.” A saga that continues today. Study after study have been completed. Plan after plan have been introduced. Organization after organization have come and gone.

Yet where do we stand today?

Because of the requests from area residents, the Baltimore County government and business entities became very involved in the revitalization process.

In the mid-1970’s the County Executive Ted Venetoulis and Councilman Norman Lauenstein began earnest efforts to bring Essex back to what it once was.

In 1976, the Murphy-Williams Co. (a Philadelphia Planning Consulting Firm) introduced a plan. This was followed by the American Cities (a subsidiary of the Rouse Co.) plan of 1978, the Corridor Plan of 1979, the Rasmussen Plan of 1980, the Essex Revitalization Plan of the Baltimore County Planning Staff in 1980, the Essex CBD Revitalization Plan of 1991, the Essex-Middle River Community Conservation Plan of 1996, Eastern Baltimore County Revitalization Strategies of 1996, and more recently, the Urban Design Assistance Team (UDAT) Plan in 2004.

These efforts have given birth to the Community Action for Redevelopment of Essex (CARE), that was restructured into the Essex Development Corp. (EDCO), followed by the Essex Revitalization & Community Corp. (ERCO) and the Essex-Middle River Renaissance Corp.

This column is in no way meant to be critical of any of these individual or group struggles. Many positive and needed improvements to Essex and surrounding areas have resulted from them.

Parking space has increased. Landscaping has received overdue upgrading. Vacant storefronts are beginning to disappear. New businesses and buildings are on the rise. Older storefronts have been rehabilitated. Pride has returned to the area and less trash and litter can be found.

However, even with all these encouraging events, we can still be reminded of the original intent of those community residents who approached their elected officials some 35 years ago and requested a drug store and grocery store within walking distance of their homes. Yes, we now have a CVS Drug Store that is an integral and useful part of the business district, but where is the grocery store?

Has Essex really been revitalized or do we still have a long way to go? What are your thoughts?