Although it has been decades in the making, the city wants you to know that there is a planning process at work around future development of Druid Hill Park Lake, although no end date is yet in view.
On Oct. 29, the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks (BCRP) held a community meeting to provide updates on plans for the lake that is the highlight of the park’s southern border. In May the walking path loop around the lake was reopened. The vision now is to weave other recreational features adjacent to the lake and provide new recreational opportunities.
Federal drinking water regulations promulgated in 2006 required municipalities to cover exposed drinking water reservoirs. Construction began in 2017 at Druid Hill Lake under EPA orders to install two large concrete tanks that can store 76 million gallons of finished drinking water. The original 55-acre reservoir-lake has been reduced to 33 acres, which will be available solely for recreation use once BCPR’s plan is implemented.
BCRP’s planning work is focused on introducing lakeside recreational amenities, improving access to the lake, and ensuring that a healthy ecosystem surrounds it. Lakeside amenities are to be concentrated on the north shore and include a café/boathouse/education building, a swimming area, a boat launch, and a pedestrian bridge over the lake connecting new islands to the shoreline, BCRP officials said. Major improvements will allow direct access to the water from multiple locations, providing 1/3 mile of accessible shoreline.
The plan also envisions a fishing pier at Linden Avenue on the south side of the lake. The now-barren land area atop the two reservoir tanks would become two large event spaces, with an amphitheater to accommodate both large and small performances.
To ensure a healthy ecosystem surrounds the lake, the plan reintroduces a stream valley feeding into the northwestern shore. As the stream enters the lake, it flows over a cascade which could be observed from a new pedestrian bridge. This new bridge and the island bridge will provide options for pedestrian routes around the lake in addition to the original pedestrian loop.
Improved community connections have been critical to the plan’s development. BCRC’s plan includes a major pedestrian entrance way at Eutaw Street and Druid Hill Drive. The Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT) has received a $6 million grant to “reconnect West Baltimore Communities to Druid Hill Park,” and the selection of a consultant is underway. The BCDOT project will reinforce the pedestrian connection at Eutaw Street and apply complete street concepts at other locations along Druid Hill Drive to improve access.
The price tag for the entire BCRP vision plan is in excess of $50 million. BCPR currently has $34 million in funding commitments from state and city sources, which is sufficient to fund Phase 1 of the plan: the construction of all major earthwork and features, minus the boathouse/café and pedestrian bridges (Phase 2). BCRP says it is about to enter the design phase, which is scheduled for completion in 2026, and Phase I construction could begin as early as 2028. The city is currently exploring philanthropic opportunities and grants for the additional funding required for Phase 2.
For more information about BCRP’s plans for Druid Hill Lake go to yourdruidlake.govocal.com . You can take a survey there to indicate your preferences.
–Sallye Perrin
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