Contrary to the view of a handful of disaffected Bolton Hill residents, there is strong community support for the redevelopment of State Center ("State Center is a boondoggle," Aug. 2).
The truth is that State Center supporters could not be more widespread. Support has come not just from political leaders, such as three mayors and two governors, but every community organization surrounding the site, all of the major faith-based organizations, all of the major cultural institutions in the area, every significant economic development organization and hundreds of citizens who participated in the over 200 meetings during the project's planning phase.
Working together, the communities surrounding State Center put significant effort into coming to a community benefits agreement for this project. That agreement requires the developer to involve the community in its plans, improve access to transit and generate community jobs. It also requires environmentally sensitive construction and help in financing additional community-led projects.
While it is always worth recognizing other points of view, it is important to remember that this project has been vetted through a gauntlet of financial, legislative, legal and political reviews. It has withstood every test, and it makes enormous sense for mid-town Baltimore. Local jobs, educational and cultural opportunities await.
The state's obsolete campus separates nine neighborhoods, creating a boundary between people that prevents us from all rising higher together. It is time to knit us together. We urge the state to proceed with the project.
Brian Levy, Baltimore
The writer is president of the Mount Vernon-Belvedere Association.