Baltimore County and the Pikesville Armory Foundation announced Dec. 6 a partnership agreement to build a state-of-the-art senior center and indoor and outdoor recreation facilities on the historic campus at 610 Reisterstown Road.
The project represents the culmination of more than a decade of grassroots organizing focused on transforming the 14-acre campus into a community asset and gathering place.
Groundbreaking will take place in early 2026, with construction expected to take two years to complete.
“The redeveloped armory campus will be the realization of the community vision initiated six years ago by an in-depth citizen participation process,” said Shelley Morhaim, president of the foundation. “The partnership with Baltimore County announced today will create intergenerational opportunities and benefits for the entire Northwest Baltimore City and County region.”
The County’s Department of Aging will operate a 25,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art senior center on the armory campus that will include classrooms, exercise facilities, a woodshop, meeting spaces and other services.
The Department of Recreation and Parks will manage the more than 250,000 square feet of outdoor recreation space on the campus to include two full-size sports fields, a walking path around the perimeter of the property, three playgrounds appropriate for ages 2 and older, a pavilion and restrooms.
Indoors, the department will operate 30,000 square feet of multi-sport courts for basketball, pickleball and other uses.
As part of the agreement, the county will invest $9.5 million over the next several years to support the planning, design and construction of these facilities at the armory.
“Pikesville community members and stakeholders continue to be critical partners in our work to reimagine and transform this historic property into a vibrant regional hub,” said Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski. “Our announcement builds on this partnership and demonstrates that — by working with our federal, state, and local counterparts — we can continue delivering modern and high-quality opportunities for our residents to build connections, stay active and celebrate everything that makes our communities a special place to call home.”
The first phase of the project to transform the armory complex is already underway, with construction to restore and renovate the property’s Non-Commissioned Officers Club building. The NCO Club building dates back to the 1880s and is a key component of the larger campus’s inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, the armory was built in 1903 as part of the expansion of the National Guard program. Most recently, the NCO Club building has served as a gathering place for veterans and community members.
The restoration, which began last April, is expected to be completed by next spring. With this renovation, the NCO Club will continue to provide meeting and event space for community members and veterans, as well as office space for local organizations, including the Armory Foundation.
“I am so pleased that we have reached this important benchmark in the redevelopment of the Pikesville Armory,” said Baltimore County Councilman Izzy Patoka (D-2nd). “We are at the beginning phase of a spectacular amenity that will benefit residents of all ages. The Pikesville Armory redevelopment will not only be a local amenity, but also a regional destination. Stay tuned, great things will happen here!”
The project released official renderings at its groundbreaking last January. The images show plans for the renovation and adaptive reuse of the main armory building with sports courts, performance and maker spaces, cafe and community areas, among other uses. Other buildings on the site will be renovated for artists’ studios and galleries, indoor and outdoor performance venues, historical monuments, a walking labyrinth, and other spaces for community members and organizations.
As planning continues, the Armory Foundation welcomes continuing community input.
The site was the subject of a 2017 Governor’s Commission, which drew on hundreds of community conversations to receive input from thousands of neighbors. The resulting direction for redevelopment of the site calls for “a multi-use venue for recreation, arts, and other community programming,” and led to the formation of the Armory Foundation.
The chosen development team — Seawall and Onyx Development — bring a Baltimore-centric approach to community-led development, with a focus on adaptive reuse and mixed-use projects. The project team also includes Ziger/Snead Architects, landscape architects Unknown Studio, and general contractor Wilhelm Builders.
For updates and announcements, visit transformpikesvillearmory.org.
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