It’s been a long and winding road, but the redevelopment of the Pikesville Armory is yet another step closer to becoming a reality.
On Wednesday, Aug. 2, the Maryland Department of Public Works approved the transfer of ownership of the historic property at 610 Reisterstown Rd. from the state to Baltimore County.
The county plans to transfer ultimate ownership of the site to the Pikesville Armory Foundation, a nonprofit, to support efforts to transform the campus into a community hub.
The PAF will redevelop the armory campus in partnership with the Baltimore-based Seawall community organization and the Onyx Development firm.
The development team of Seawall and Onyx will work in partnership with the PAF on all aspects of the project’s design, financing, public art, leasing and programming.
“In selecting Seawall and Onyx as our development partners, we are confident that we are creating a community-centered project that will be transformative for the region,” said PAF president Shelley Morhaim.
Located a half mile north of the city line, the armory — a 60,000-square-foot former military storage facility on 14 acres of land — could serve as an economic and cultural engine for the Pikesville/Reisterstown Road corridor.
The armory was built in 1903 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It was decommissioned in 2016, and a process commenced to determine its future usage.
In 2017, the armory was the focus of a commission established by former Gov. Larry Hogan that drew upon hundreds of community conversations. The redevelopment calls for “a multi-use venue for recreation, arts, and other community programming,” and led to the creation of the PAF.
The PAF was founded by representatives from the Greater Pikesville Recreation Council, the Greater Baltimore Chamber of Commerce, the Veterans of the Pikesville Military Reservation, the 1000 Friends of Pikesville group, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Baltimore.
“The first step will be the renovation of the Non-Commissioned Officers Club Building, which is currently used by over 500 veterans,” said PAF vice president Barry Williams. “When complete, it will serve not only the veterans’ groups, but also local community organizations and provide a venue for private events.”
Construction of the NCO Club is slated to begin as early as mid-2024, with the larger project to begin restoring and renovating the armory building and surrounding fields and structures the following year.
Seawall is known for the development of such food halls and public spaces as Lexington Market and R. House, teacher apartments and nonprofit offices at Miller’s Court and Union Mill, and creative community hubs like the Union Collective.
“The Pikesville Armory redevelopment is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring together Baltimoreans from all walks of life,” said Peter DiPrinzio, Seawall’s development director. “We believe this will be a transformative project that both honors the history of this property and turns it into a valuable community gathering place for generations to come.”
A Black and female-owned firm, Onyx Development specializes in community-centered development and is currently at work on the redevelopment of historic rowhomes in the Pimlico and Franklin Square/Harlem Park neighborhoods, student housing near Coppin State, and as a consultant to other mission-driven projects.
“Community-focused development is something Onyx and Seawall pride ourselves on,” said Rian Hargrave, founder and CEO of Onyx Development. “The Pikesville Armory project will be a paramount project that will make the Armory a destination not only for Baltimore County and the Northwest Corridor, but Baltimore City as well as the State of Maryland. We’re thrilled to be a part of restoring such a renowned site,”
The PAF will hold a series of community tours of the armory campus to solicit further feedback on project plans and programming. The next tour dates are on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 10 a.m. and noon, and Sunday, Oct. 29, at 10 a.m. and noon.
A full calendar of meetings can be found on the PAF’s Facebook page. Project updates and announcements will be posted on the website at Project updates, and announcements will be posted on the foundation’s website at pikesvillearmoryfoundation.org.
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