U.S. urban farming company Gotham Greens is set to open a hydroponic greenhouse at the site of the former Bethlehem steel mill in Baltimore, Maryland.

Baltimore is the third city in Gotham Green's growing network of high-tech urban greenhouses, after New York and Chicago.

Scheduled to open in early 2019, the initial phase of the new facility will occupy over 100,000 square feet in the northern part of Tradepoint Atlantic, a 3,100-acre multimodal logistics center.

The center features an "unmatched combination" of access to deepwater berths, railroads, highways and storage space.

The greenhouse facility is to provide a year-round supply of locally-grown fresh produce to retail, restaurant and foodservice customers throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

It will be climate-controlled, powered by 100% renewable energy and recycled irrigation water and will use proprietary methods that will yield more than 30 times that of conventional farms, Gotham Greens said.

"We are thrilled that Tradepoint Atlantic has attracted an innovative and growing company like Gotham Greens to Maryland. Their unique approach to urban agriculture, in an area once known for steelmaking and shipbuilding, will be an asset to the community and our state's economy," said Maryland Governor Larry Hogan.

Along with its locations in New York, including its flagship Brooklyn greenhouse, and in Chicago, where it built the world's largest rooftop farm, Gotham Greens will own and operate 500,000 square-feet of greenhouses upon the opening of the Baltimore facility.

"Baltimore is the ideal home for Gotham Greens' expansion to the mid-Atlantic region," said Viraj Puri, co-founder and CEO of Gotham Greens.

"We're thrilled to bring our brand of premium-quality, safe and sustainably-grown produce to supermarkets, restaurants and communities throughout the region."

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