On May 23, the South Baltimore Six (SB6) communities of Brooklyn, Cherry Hill, Curtis Bay, Lakeland, Mt. Winans, and Westport held a signing ceremony to formally create SB7 Coalition Inc. The Coalition is a new entity that will facilitate the delivery of community benefits associated with the redevelopment of Port Covington.
The creation of the SB7 Coalition Inc. marks a significant step for the community benefits agreement (CBA) signed by the leaders of Sagamore Development Company (SDC) and the SB6 communities in 2016. The CBA set forth that Sagamore Development and the SB6 communities would work together to create a new entity to facilitate the delivery of community benefits to those communities. The SB7 Coalition has been designed to be a community-driven organization, positioning leaders from the six South Baltimore communities and Sagamore Development – the master developer behind Port Covington – as partners in the important work of ensuring communities in South Baltimore share in the economic, educational, cultural, environmental and social benefits associated with the redevelopment of Port Covington.
A group of over 30 community leaders and members of the Sagamore Development team have worked tirelessly since the CBA was signed to complete the process of articulating a vision, structure, and near-term work plan for the new entity, consisting of combined leadership. The goal of the new SB7 Coalition will be to fund the immediate, ongoing, and generational community needs, as outlined in the CBA.
“Since plans to redevelop Port Covington were first announced, Sagamore Development has shown they are fully committed to the South Baltimore communities,” said Michael Middleton, chairman of the Cherry Hill Community Coalition and new chairman of SB7. “We are thrilled to create the SB7 Coalition and welcome Port Covington to our group. As neighbors and friends, we look forward to working together for years to come to ensure Brooklyn, Cherry Hill, Curtis Bay, Lakeland, Mt. Winans and Westport share in Port Covington’s long-term prosperity and economic future.”
