County Proposes Using Tax Dollars for Improving JGBLI Private Owned Part of Fort Ritchie, Water/Sewer Consulting Deal with Former County Administrator

Washington County residents may see significant county expenditures in privately owned infrastructure at Fort Ritchie as part of a proposed agreement set for a vote this Thursday. The plan involves the county undertaking costly improvements to the water and sewer systems on a 63-acre parcel of land owned by JG Business Link International (JGBLI), a company that acquired the property at no cost years ago but has yet to substantially develop it. In exchange for the county’s substantial investment in subsurface infrastructure, JGBLI would be responsible for upgrading the site’s private roads and then transferring those roads along with the repaired water and sewer lines to the county for future maintenance. At the same time, the County is also proposing a water/sewer consulting deal with a company managed by former County Administrator Greg Murray, who was part of the original development efforts of that part of Fort Ritchie.

The history of the Fort Ritchie redevelopment is a complex one, originating after the former military reservation was decommissioned under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process in 1998. The sprawling 591-acre site in Cascade, Maryland, became an underutilized asset, prompting Washington County to seek private partners to spur economic growth and expand the local tax base. JG Business Link International, Inc. (JGBLI) was designated as the Master Developer in November 2016, tasked with redeveloping the entire property, then branded as the “Cascade Town Centre.” The county’s strategy relied heavily on JGBLI’s purported international business connections, particularly with South Korean entities, to attract foreign direct investment.

In a move to accelerate development and provide JGBLI with a tangible asset for financing, the county transferred 63 acres of prime lakefront property, including historic structures, to the developer in June 2017. This parcel was declared surplus property and conveyed to JGBLI’s related entity, Cascade Town Centre Development, LLC, for zero monetary consideration and no contingencies requiring the JGBLI to transfer the land back to the county should they fail to develop the parcel. The county’s rationale for this zero-cost land grant aimed to free up the developer’s capital and allow mortgaging of the property for immediate site improvements and construction, with the long-term return expected from increased property tax revenues. However, this approach assumes a high degree of execution certainty, and in this case, the anticipated development failed to materialize on a significant scale.

The vision for the 63-acre parcel included a grand “Innovation District,” envisioned as a hub for global technology, academia, and medical facilities, featuring a large Global Innovation Center, special economic zoning, and mixed-use residential and hospitality components. Despite extensive marketing, international delegations, and the absence of land acquisition costs, the promised development remained largely unbuilt for almost a decade. While JGBLI submitted various site plans, no businesses have opened on the JGBLI part of Fort Ritchie, although 6.81 acres of the property was briefly listed for sale in 2022 for $1.5 million, with the sale listing removed in February of the following year with no buyers. This contrasts sharply with the adjacent 475-plus acres, which were sold to local entity Cascade Properties, LLC in 2021 for $1.85 million and have since seen significant rehabilitation and the establishment of numerous operational businesses under the banner of “Ritchie Revival”, including the opening of the Ritchie History Museum.

The stagnation on JGBLI’s 63 acres eventually led to a shift in strategy, from ambitious commercial projects to a more traditional, lower-risk domestic residential development. However, even this scaled-down development encountered significant delays due to the inadequacy of the existing private water and sewer infrastructure.

The proposed agreement, an Amendment to the Settlement Agreement and Mutual Release, aims to break this development stalemate. Under the terms, Washington County would assume the financial burden and operational responsibility for improving the private sewer system on JGBLI’s property. Upon completion, JGBLI would transfer this modernized sewer network to the county. In return, JGBLI is mandated to upgrade specific private roads—N. Boyd Street, Cushman Avenue, Hart Avenue, and Lake Wastler Drive—to county standards before legally dedicating these roadways to Washington County for perpetual public maintenance.

This proposed transfer of infrastructure responsibilities to the county represents a significant financial commitment on behalf of the county, particularly concerning the subsurface sewer improvements. While the amendment’s agenda report form lists the fiscal impact as “N/A,” the undertaking likely requires substantial capital expenditures, potentially necessitating new bonded debt for the county, as well as ongoing maintenance costs once the infrastructure is dedicated to the County. The short-term and long-term costs to County tax payers is currently unknown, and the County’s 2027 Ten Year Capital Improvement Plan has not yet been released.

Adding another layer of complexity to the county’s dealings with JGBLI is the involvement of GDMS, LLC, a consulting firm that the Board of County Commissioners also seeks to approve a contract with on the same day as the proposed JGBLI agreement. The firm is proposed to provide strategic assessments of the county’s water and sewer service areas, addressing issues such as capacity deficiencies and regulatory requirements – precisely the challenges faced at Fort Ritchie. Notably, the managing partner and resident agent of GDMS, Gregory B. Murray, previously served as CEO for Washington Realty Management, a firm that directly partnered with JGBLI on the Fort Ritchie development, and immediately prior to becoming CEO, Murray was the County Administrator for Washington County, retiring in June 2017 around the same time the property was given to JGBLI. While the agenda does not specifically link GDMS to the JGBLI agreement, the timing and topics for both being during a special session of the BOCC are likely not coincidental.

The proposed agreement, if approved by the Board of County Commissioners this Thursday, will involve the county making a substantial upfront capital investment to upgrade private sewer lines, thereby enabling JGBLI to proceed with development after significant county investment in water/sewer infrastructure. The county will also absorb the long-term maintenance costs for the roads and infrastructure once they are dedicated to public use. No estimates of projected return on investment for the taxpayers or development timelines are included in the upcoming agenda item.

Associated documents for this story are available in our Public Information Archive.

Article by Ken Buckler, based upon information from Washington County Board of County Commissioners.

DISCLOSURE: While JGBLI was master developer for Fort Ritchie, Buckler attempted to engage with Washington County regarding developing a smart farm concept on the Fort. Washington County sent those ideas for JGBLI, and Buckler never heard back on the concept. The smart farm is now underway in Hagerstown instead as Honeypot Acres Farm.

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