Last week, the Pikesville Armory Foundation marked a major milestone in its “Transform Pikesville Armory” project with the grand opening of the renovated Noncommissioned Officers Club building.
The ceremony marked the first completed phase in a multi-year, $100 million-plus redevelopment endeavor to create an intergenerational community destination for sports, recreation, and arts and culture at the historic 17-acre armory campus at 640 Reisterstown Road.
Community leaders, elected officials, residents and others attended the Aug. 12 ribbon-cutting ceremony. The program included a video message of congratulations from Gov. Wes Moore.
Since 2022, the PAF has worked in partnership with Seawall and Onyx Development on the project. Construction for the NCO Club building started in April of 2024.
“This space gives a physical place to manifest our collective dream, an opportunity to safeguard the community and bring people together,” said Shelley Morhaim, president of the PAF’s board of directors. “Today marks a milestone in the rebirth of the Pikesville Armory.”
Said PAF board member and Greater Baltimore Chamber of Commerce CEO Beth Rheingold: “This project is a catalyst for the revitalization of the northwest corridor of Baltimore, and we invite everyone to be part of it.”
The restored NCO Club will serve as a gathering and events space for community members and military veterans. The second floor of the building serves as office space for the PAF and a regional office for Baltimore County’s Department of Recreation and Parks.
During construction of the armory campus, the PAF is showcasing its commitment to creating an intergenerational community hub for sports, recreation and the arts by bringing the community together for different events, including the recent “Taste of Northwest” and summer jazz concerts, with a larger-than-life inflatable artwork PopUp! festival slated for Sept. 11.
The second phase of the armory redevelopment project, in partnership with Baltimore County, will kick off in late 2026 and encompass primarily outdoor features including sports fields, walking paths and a state-of-the-art destination playground with public art and historical monuments interspersed throughout the grounds.
Built in 1903, the Pikesville Armory was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
The project team for the NCO Club included Ziger/Snead Architects, landscape architects Unknown Studio and general contractor Wilhelm Builders.
Said PAF Executive Director David Ginsburg: “The renovated NCO Club is a microcosm of what this 17-acre place will be and will offer to everyone: bringing community together, arts and culture, family-friendly fun activities, and so much more.”
For information, visit transformpikesvillearmory.org.
Marc Terrill talks with Pikesville Armory Foundation Executive Director David Ginsburg about the planned reimagining of that historic site as a hub for arts and community engagement and a premier go-to destination.
Groundbreaking for the transformed historic campus will take place in early 2026, with construction expected to take about two years.