Page 53 - Rukert - 100th Anniversary

Lazaretto Terminal at 3201 Mertens Avenue
would be acquired by the City of Baltimore for the construction of Interstate Route 95. Soon after, Rukert Terminals would receive a condemnation notice from the State of Maryland stating that in order to construct the new I-95 Fort McHenry Tunnel, six and a half acres of Rukert Terminals’ property would be taken and razed. This included the “A” berth, the new main office, a mechanic shop, and many buildings totaling over 150,000 square feet of covered warehouse space. As Norm remembers, “Lazaretto was the heart of our company, and we thought our world had come to an end.” Though their sideburns grew longer to keep with the fashion, this is the period when Norm and Bud really started losing their hair.
As the news sunk in, the company’s leaders faced tough choices. After the tunnel proposal was announced, many advised Norman Sr. to give up
the Lazaretto Terminal, take a buyout from the
city and either shrink the company or go out of business entirely. Rather than wallowing in self-pity, Norman envisioned improving Rukert Terminals’ remaining property and purchasing additional adjacent property to keep operations going. Norman Sr. calculated that once the tunnel was installed,
the company would be perfectly placed alongside a major interstate, allowing for more efficient move- ment of cargo to and from the terminal.
When faced with a choice to sink or swim, Norman Sr. and the management team decided to double down and bet on themselves. The company quickly embarked on a multi-million dollar expansion program that included a new network of buildings
PART I THE RUKERT STORY
“Lazaretto was the heart of
our company, and we thought our world had come to an end.”
— Norm Rukert Jr.
and piers in Canton. Though risky, the expansion plan reflected Rukert Terminals’ commitment to the Port of Baltimore and optimism about the future of private enterprise there.
As the tunnel deadline approached inexorably during the late 1970s, company leaders raced to find land to replace the property being lost at Lazaretto. At first, they approached the Pennsylvania Railroad
ABOVE:
A rendering of the proposed route for the Interstate 95 tunnel, showing ownership of surrounding properties
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