People Need to Face It That the Ft. Howard Development is Still Stalled

 Right now! It is time for citizens to make known to the VA, politicians, and media that what is happening to the former VA Hospital on Ft. Howard is a terrible thing. If you don’t, I suspect a lot of people will really regret it. The US Government is going to do something with the property. I had a conversation with the Baltimore VA's R. David Edwards - Chief, Public and Community Relations. Mr. Edwards informed me that the VA gets three chances to have a VA property redeveloped. Then the General Services Administration takes over the property and has a list of three other entities whom the property is offered to. If number one turns it down, number two is offered; then if that is not accepted number three has a shot at it. I cannot recall the names on that list, and if they all turn it down I cannot recall what he said happens next but the land may be sold. Either way, veterans loose it, and the Ft Howard area communities may be negatively impacted by the next use of that federal property.

I do not know if the VA has or has not begun to make moves towards cancelling the current lease to Ft Howard, but they may be. The tricky question I do not have the answer to is whether the current lease holder is still the second one, Tim Munshell, or the current developer, Sam Himmelrich, has a third lease. About a year ago, Mr. Himmelrich and I exchanged some emails, then had a long conversation on the phone. He invited me down to see the work he has accomplished in restoring the Ft. Howard campus. He is a fan of my photography, and I was to take photos and write about it. Sam Himmelrich is the first actual, experienced and successful real estate developer to work on the property. Sam no longer answers my emails.

Due to the first lease holder, John David Infantino, being nothing but a conman who has never done any development, the VA made a serious mistake by signing the lease with him. I say his lease should not count in the "three strikes you’re’ out" regulation that puts the property up for grabs by entities outside the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Tim Munshell has no full project development experience or abilities, but he did study the property and was hired by Himmelrich to do what Tim actually does well on a development project. Which I have said all along Munshell was up to – to be between the VA and a real developer.

If people do not get with this and make some efforts to force the VA into setting this situation right, veterans and the Fort Howard, Chesapeake Terrace, Millers Island, Lodge Forrest, Lodge Farm and Edgemere neighborhoods may very well be grossly, negatively impacted.

The US Government is going to do something with the property.

Do all you can to assure it has a positive outcome.

The photo is of the entrance to the Ft. Howard VA property on Easter Sunday 2021. That yellow gate should be closed and locked. I did not step further towards the tall fence to see if there is a lock on it, because that could get police called for trespassing. It had rained several days prior, so I saw that the washed out tree debris would have shown tire tracks if vehicles had been in there recent to that day. Which means if there are not security guards living in there, then there may not be any security. Himmelrich did have good security posted there.