CAMBRIDGE, Md. - The old Dorchester General Hospital met with a team of excavators today.
The medical center was also known as the University Maryland Shore Medical Center at Dorchester.
The (CWDI) Cambridge Waterfront Development Incorporated Executive Director, Matt Leonard, says they've been envisioning on how to beautify the city for 30 years. Two years ago, the university decided to move locations, and that vision has become a reality.
Leonard says, "The idea is to improve this site for the benefit of the community. Where it's a place that is inviting, accessible, active, and enjoyable for the locals. But also, an attraction for people to come and visit and spend some time here to get to know Cambridge. And maybe, choose to live here at some point. We would love that."
Replacing the medical center will be retail, food and beverage shops, residential homes, and grasslands with trails for biking and hiking.
Some in the community said they had concerns with the water becoming polluted with all of the new residential and retail buildings. However, Leonard says, "Cambridge Waterfront Development incorporated is just as concerned as the community about the environmental aspect of developing along the waterfront. Again, one of the first things were doing is making sure that the actual vertical construction of buildings, residential, and retail is back away from the waterfront by about 100 yards."
The demolition, today, brought some curious onlookers. One of those spectators was Jimmy Simmons. He said watching the medical center saddened him because his mother worked there. Simmons says, "It just hurts, that's all. It hurts. We don't need that going on in Cambridge, right now. This hospital was a part of the town."
Leonard said, some of those, in Cambridge have sentimental ties because they were either born there, worked there, healed there, and/or watched a loved one heal there. So, for those who have that sentimental tie are encouraged to take a brick from the demolition to remember the building.
One thing that CWDI is doing, is putting a plan together for long-term sustainability, for this site. We are going to own it, operate it, manage it, activate it, secure it, and clean it. So yes, we are putting that plan in place, now, to make sure that whatever we develop here is maintained really well for the benefit of the public," says Leonard.
A vision becoming a reality.