EUL Timeline

2010

Outlines of the seven sites the Navy hopes to redevelop with its EUL program for Naval Air Station Patuxent River.

April 27: Navy officials notify the St. Mary’s County Commissioners that they intend to pursue an Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) project with a private developer to bring new office buildings to Naval Air Station Patuxent River.

June 9: Navy officials outline their plan to lease 42 acres on seven sites at Pax River to a private developer. Officials reveal that the base has more than 2,100 employees working out of temporary structures, many of which are substandard.

July 7: Local business leaders express their concern about the proposed EUL project, telling local government officials that they question whether the project will benefit the county’s economy.

Aug. 31: Navy officials reveal plans to pursue an EUL redevelopment of the Solomons Navy Recreation Center and express their hope of making $1 million in revenue a year from the deal.

2011

Feb. 2: Naval District Washington acknowledges that the Pax River EUL is held up, awaiting Congressional approval, after holding a status meeting on the project. Rep. Steny Hoyer’s (D, Md-5th) office reveals he has placed a hold on project approval.

March 29: The St. Mary’s County Commissioners send a letter to Hoyer, expressing support for the project and asking him to release it for approval. Developer Wayne Davis of W.M. Davis Inc. of Leonardtown then releases a public letter criticizing the commissioners’ position.

April 18: Navy officials, contractors, local officials and the county’s development community meet to air their opinions about the Pax River EUL project. Officials from the Southern Maryland Navy Alliance, a contractor lobbying group, invoke the specter of a 2015 round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) as a reason to push the completion of the Pax River EUL. Meanwhile, STEMCorp, a new nonprofit organization founded by officers of the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum, revealed a proposal for Lots 6 and 7 of the EUL project that would bring office space and other enhancements to the area.

May 4: Del. John Bohanan (D, St. Mary’s) reveals that the Navy has agreed to remove most allowable retail and restaurant uses from the EUL project in order to alleviate the concerns of the St. Mary’s County development community that the project would siphon business away from the county’s core development district.

May 26: At a public meeting explaining the EUL project to the development community, Bohanan warns that the county cannot expect to depend on manned flight programs to support the economy and argues that the county needs to support the EUL to ensure future growth. Bohanan further warns that Pax River could become a victim of its own success.

June 20: Bohanan announces that Hoyer has released his hold on Congressional approval of the EUL project.

July 22: The Navy releases a Request for Qualifications, asking for proposals for the EUL project.

Aug. 18: The Navy announces that, by mutual agreement with the county government, that there will be no community member on the team that reviews bid proposals.

2012

Feb. 15: The Navy announces that it has entered exclusive negotiations with Hines Interests, a private Houston real estate firm. Hines’ development team includes AECOM, The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company of Baltimore and The PMC Group, L.L.C.