<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=32OnIG_1GzSapjo00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=32OnIG_1GzSapjo00" width="840" height="630" ><figcaption>John Lee/WYPR News People line up outside the new Barnes and Noble at Lutherville Station. It opened its doors for the first time on Wednesday.</figcaption></figure>Baltimore County Executive-Elect Julian Jones said he will push through the controversial Lutherville Station project. The plan to turn the old shopping center into apartments, businesses and restaurants has been stalled for years and its future is now tangled in the vote counting in the District 5 council race.Republican Councilman Nino Mangione was working on a plan to get Lutherville Station approved by the countyHe is behind in the vote count to Democrat Shawn McIntosh who has said she supports it but wants the community more involved.So if Mcintosh wins, will it mean another delay?“That’s a fabulous question,” said Mark Renbaum, Lutherville Station’s developer. “I obviously don’t have the answer to that.”Renbaum and Jones were at the opening Wednesday of a Barnes and Noble at Lutherville Station. No matter who wins the District 5 seat, Jones said he will push the council to approve the overall development.“I will not sit idly by,” Jones said. “As the county executive I’m going to be hands on.”He added, “We want to work with the community but we have to recognize that the county must grow.”The Barnes and Noble is the first piece being put in place for the Lutherville Station development.If Renbaum is successful and gets the green light from the county, he wants there to be 325 apartments as well as restaurants and shops.At a community meeting earlier this year, some people in the community opposed it. Patricia Ferguson said the project would be an unwanted magnet.“That’s going to bring the kids,” Ferguson said. “That’s going to bring the fights. That’s going to bring what’s happening over there, Towson.”Vanessa McCoy said, “I want to feel safe. Frankly I want to feel like I felt in 1985.”Renbaum holds out little hope he can convince those who oppose Lutherville Station to change their minds.“After seven years it’s very clear where their take is on it,” Renbaum said. “So I don’t think they are going to be moving into the apartments any time soon.”Mangione was working on an agreement to give the community built-in protections like more trees and improved lighting.McIntosh told WYPR earlier this year that when she knocked on doors campaigning near Lutherville Station, at least three fourths of the people were against it. She said that’s a sign the community feels left out.McIntosh said, “It tells me that you really should maybe go back to square one and say, okay, what amenities would you really like to have? What kind of housing would you feel comfortable with?”Supporters of Lutherville Station say it is the perfect project for the property, which adjoins the light rail. The county has asked the state to give it Transit Oriented Development designation, which would make the development eligible for state money.Since much of Baltimore County is protected from development, Jones said they need to zero in on those areas in the more urban parts of the county that can be redeveloped.“We are going to move forward with this project,” Jones said. I’m confident that whoever the council person is will recognize the importance of us doing some infill with older neighborhoods with facilities like this that have tremendous potential.”Renbaum said he is “extremely optimistic” the project will move forward in 2027, citing the support it has from Jones and other political leaders.“We’re here to do a super first-class project, bringing great destination retail and great lifestyle amenities and much needed housing as well,” Renbaum said.The council race between Mangione and McIntosh should be settled on Friday. The Baltimore County Elections Board is planning to certify the November election then. As of Tuesday night, McIntosh had a 1,355 vote lead with more mail-in and provisional ballots still to count.</div></body>

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Baltimore County Executive-Elect Julian Jones said he will push through the controversial Lutherville Station project. The plan to turn the old shopping center into apartments, businesses and restaurants has been stalled for years and its future is now tangled in the vote counting in the District 5 council race. Republican...

Jones vows Baltimore County will move forward with controversial Lutherville Station development

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Baltimore County Executive-Elect Julian Jones said he will push through the controversial Lutherville Station project. The plan to turn the old shopping ce

Jones vows Baltimore County will move forward with controversial Lutherville Station development

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