Published on: Thursday, December 29, 2011

By Daryl Buchanan

Johns Hopkins University (JHU) is being sued by the family that donated the land that will be the site for the schools planned “Science City.”

The site known as Belward Farm was formerly owned by Elizabeth Banks, who wanted the 138 acres to remain undeveloped. Banks turned down offers worth $50 million from developers who wanted to turn the land into residential space.

In 1989 due to financial reasons Banks gave the land to JHU for $5 million under the condition that 108 acres would be used for academic reasons or University health and medical purposes. After Banks passed away in 2005 JHU announced their plan to build a “Science City” on the land. The project would focus on biotech research and development and could create 60,000 jobs.

JHU plans to build 23 buildings ranging in size from three to 13 stories tall and parking spaces for 12,320 cars. According to JHU half of the buildings will be office space, 40 percent will be used for life science research, and 10 percent will be retail space. The new development plan would eventually use about 4.7 million square feet.

The “Science City” also plans to remove 25 acres of forest and leave about 5 acres of trees at the location.

Montgomery County Councilmember and chair of the Planning, Housing, and Economic Development Committee Nancy Floreen says the issue has been around for years and it may be time to move on. “I think the plan Johns Hopkins has in place for the land is in line with the original agreement. I think it is time to move on,” said Floreen.

The Banks family says the “Science City” development plan is in violation of the original agreement the school made with the family in 1989. The original plan was for the land to be the site of a low rise academic campus of no more than 1.4 million square feet. 

Additionally the difference between the $50 million dollar worth of the land and the $5 million selling price was considered a donation to the university on the understanding that the land would be used as stated in the agreement.

“The original terms of the agreement were for Johns Hopkins to use the land as a satellite campus. We have been trying to protect the property from the kind of development Johns Hopkins has planned. It is sad and ironic that Johns Hopkins, the University of my Aunt was so fond of, has become the type of developer that she tried hard to protect the Farm from,” said Tim Newell, Spokesperson and lead plaintiff for the Banks family.