Maryland Code § 1

§ 1.

    The General Assembly of Maryland, by public local law, may authorize the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore:

    (a)    To acquire land and property of every kind, and any right, interest, franchise, easement or privilege therein, in adjoining or in the vicinity of the Patapsco River or its tributaries, by purchase, lease, gift, condemnation or any other legal means, for or in connection with extending, developing or improving the harbor or port of Baltimore and its facilities and the highways and approaches thereto; and providing, further, that the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore shall not acquire any such land or property, or any such right, interest, franchise, easement or privilege therein, for any of said purposes, in any of the counties of this State without the prior consent and approval by resolution duly passed after a public hearing, by the governing body of the county in which such land or property, or such right, interest, franchise, easement or privilege therein, is situate; and provided, further, that Anne Arundel County shall retain jurisdiction and power to tax any land so acquired by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore under the provisions of this Act.

    (b)    To sell, lease, convey, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of said land or property, regardless of whether or not it is undeveloped or has been developed, redeveloped, altered, or improved and irrespective of the manner or means in or by which it may have been acquired, to any private, public or quasi public corporation, partnership, association, person or other legal entity.

    No land or property taken by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore for any of the aforementioned purposes or in connection with the exercise of any of the powers which may be granted to the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore pursuant to this Article by exercising the power of eminent domain, shall be taken without just compensation, as agreed upon between the parties, or awarded by a jury, being first paid or tendered to the party entitled to such compensation.

    All land or property needed, or taken by the exercise of the power of eminent domain, by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore for any of the aforementioned purposes or in connection with the exercise of any of the powers which may be granted to the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore pursuant to this Article is hereby declared to be needed or taken for a public use.