Spark: Impact Report 2024

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MORE OF BALTIMORE TO LOVE

OUR IMPACT

BY THE NUMBERS

A CULTURE OF CREATIVITY

BUILDING CONNECTIONS, GROWING ROOTS

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n late 2022, we came together to celebrate the unveiling of a new name and vision for Baltimore Peninsula. Since then, our teams have completed an ambitious first phase of vertical construction, adding more than 1.1 million square feet of residential, retail and commercial space to this 235-acre neighborhood. These vibrant spaces are made for gathering, dining, working and creating. But together, they represent so much more than that.

Baltimore Peninsula’s public parks and accessible waterfront, gorgeous affordable and market-rate apartments, Class A office spaces and welcoming destinations bring to life our commitment to impact for Baltimore City – and our belief that this neighborhood will play a critical role in its future.

Today, our vision for inclusive urban development is realized every day as more neighbors accept our invitation to explore and participate in modern-day community building.

We’re proud to watch new families move into beautiful homes at Rye House and 250 Mission, and excited to gather for a bite with friends at Bar Vegan later this year. And we continue to be inspired by the entrepreneurs at Impact Village

who are incubating new social enterprises to lift up communities in our own backyard and across Baltimore City.

Momentum is building all around, but let us be clear that our work is just beginning. As Baltimore’s renaissance unfolds citywide, we will continue our community-focused investments to ensure that the neighborhoods around us reap the benefits of equitable economic growth. Here, we’re building more of Baltimore to love. More access, more opportunity, more community connections. Baltimore Peninsula is a place for everyone – rooted in civic pride, designed to inspire, and built for impact.

Turn the page to read more about what we’ve accomplished together over the last few years, and stay tuned for future editions of Spark that will tell a story of connection, growth and positive change. (And don’t forget to follow us on social media and check out our website – BaltimorePeninsula.com – to get regular updates and progress reports all about impact.

As we continue on our mission to generate new glimmers of light, we hope you’ll pay us a visit soon, and that it sparks in you the same sense of wonder and optimism we share for the City we all love.

MARYANNE GILMARTIN, Founder & CEO of MAG Partners VICTOR MACFARLANE, Founder & Executive Chairman of MacFarlane Partners KEVIN PLANK, Principal & CEO of Sagamore Ventures

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AN INVITATION TO

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s t n e t n o C S O U T H B A LT I M O R E S H I N E S

We’re proud to be a part of South Baltimore.

Here’s how we’re building relationships in our community.

T H E P OW E R O F PA R K S

See how our neighborhood’s 40-plus acres of parks, waterfront and recreational areas will improve access to the great outdoors.

B U I L D I N G C O N N E C T I O N S , G R OW I N G R O OT S

Our focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging is giving local entrepreneurs and small businesses more access to opportunity.

THE COMFORTS OF HOME

Affordable housing that builds community and connection.

A C U LT U R E O F C R E AT I V I T Y

Local artists are creating new works and bridging community connections in and around Baltimore Peninsula.

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BANKING ON BALTIMORE CFG Bank, which recently moved its headquarters to the neighborhood, has big plans to support the Baltimore community and boost our local workforce.

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HOMECOMING QUEEN Baltimore native Pinky Cole brings an outpost of her vegan food empire to our Rye Street Market.

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BY THE NUMBERS The latest stats and figures behind our work.

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HOUSE OF STYLE Local design firm Chambers fashions another creative chapter with its new global headquarters.

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CULTIVATING CHANGE At Baltimore Peninsula’s Impact Village, small businesses and social enterprises build capacity and give back.

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GREENER FOR GOOD A look at how Baltimore Peninsula’s infrastructure, programs and partnerships are helping to secure a sustainable future.

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IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD We’re busy here! Baltimore Peninsula builds community year-round through public programs and activities that create impact, from charity dinners to diaper drives and neighborhood cleanups.

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GET TO KNOW OUR NEIGHBORHOOD The spaces and places at Baltimore Peninsula.

GENERAL INQUIRIES

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ON THE COVER: PHOTOGRAPHS BY: KIANNA WILSON, MATT RYB, JAE SIP, ALEXANDER JAH, DW CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHY, SIDE A PHOTOGRAPHY, MATTHEW BORKOSKI

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IMPACT VILLAGE CITY GARAGE

WEST COVINGTON PARK

NICK’S FISH HOUSE

GET TO KNOW OUR

BALTIMORE YACHT BASIN

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ELIJAH’S PARK

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RYE STREET MARKET

PORT COVINGTON MARINA

SAGAMORE SPIRIT

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RYE STREET PARK RYE STREET TAVERN

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toLove

A look at the people, brands and spaces adding to the culture of our city.

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MORE OF BALTIMORE

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GOOD NEIGHBOR

BANKING ON BALTIMORE This fast-growing bank, which recently moved its headquarters to the neighborhood, has big plans to support the Baltimore community and boost our local workforce.

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he businesses that fill our offices and retail spaces are an important part of our community at Baltimore Peninsula, and not just because their daily activities create a buzz around the neighborhood. When cultivating new commercial tenants, we aim to partner with business leaders who either have strong ties to Baltimore or strong commitments to investing in our city. (Huge bonus if they have both!)

CFG Bank, a homegrown, Baltimorebased business, was a natural fit. This year, the city’s largest financial institution will move into its new headquarters – a 97,000-squarefoot office space at Baltimore Peninsula, which founder Jack Dwyer says could accommodate CFG’s rapid growth while reinforcing their longheld commitment to philanthropic work.

“Paying it forward and giving back to our community is woven into our DNA,” Dwyer says. CFG supports a range of local organizations, including Vehicles for Change, the National Aquarium, and area schools like Mother Mary Lange Catholic School and Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, among others. But perhaps the company’s biggest commitment to purpose-led work came with the 2021 launch of its nonprofit foundation, Dwyer Workforce Development, which provides free healthcare training and wraparound support with the goal of alleviating healthcare worker shortages and providing access to professional opportunities. Partner-

ships with nonprofits and training programs – including $1 million to Living Classrooms, plus support to House of Ruth, Pressley Ridge, and more – help extend their mission.

We sat down for a quick interview with Barb Clapp, CEO of Dwyer Workforce Development, to hear her thoughts on the organization’s vision, mission and local impact.

Read on to learn more: BALTIMORE PENINSULA: How does the Dwyer Workforce Development Program support equity in employment?

BARB CLAPP: We support individuals who

lack opportunity or who are underserved by helping them pursue a career in the healthcare industry.

Our case managers are incredible advocates for our Dwyer Scholars as they go through training, job placement, and their employment. We’re addressing the barriers that keep people from sustaining longterm employment by giving them the tools to change their lives. Our goal is to train people to be CNAs and support them throughout the process.

On a need basis, Dwyer Scholars are provided with wraparound services, which include financial support for housing, childcare, transportation and more. Dwyer Scholars are paired with case managers who work closely with them to identify career ladder goals to achieve over several years – keeping them on track for success. After reaching those goals, Dwyer Scholars are awarded a full scholarship

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to achieve their Registered Nurse license or to pursue additional advanced training for other healthcare careers.

BP: What impact does this program have on our local Baltimore community?

BC: We are solving the healthcare staffing

crisis and providing a new paradigm for workforce development. We are eliminating barriers and creating paths toward life-changing careers that will lead to better lives, while also supporting the healthcare workforce and improving the lives of seniors.

This year, we partnered with Resurrection Sandtown to build our first Dwyer Scholar Healthcare Village, featuring a resource center, multi-income housing, and a childcare center, available to Dwyer Scholars in West Baltimore’s Sandtown neighborhood.

We also partnered with Southern Baptist Church to open a resource center to empower and improve the East Baltimore community. Both efforts further our wraparound support.

During our first year, we recruited, trained, and placed 287 Dwyer Scholars in Maryland. And in 2023, we recruited, trained and placed around 700 Dwyer Scholars statewide.

BP: Because making a positive impact is core to our vision and mission, it means so much to us to work with local businesses who not only share our values and belief in Baltimore, but take action to boost our communities every day. Thank you, CFG Bank!

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W H AT ’ S I N S T O R E

Pinky Cole celebrates her partnership with Baltimore Peninsula. Pictured from left to right: Chenire Carter, Kevin Plank, Pinky Cole, Mayor Brandon Scott and KD McNair.

Homecoming Queen

Baltimore native Pinky Cole brings an outpost of her vegan food empire to our Rye Street Market. he’s from here – and she’s coming home. Raised in East Baltimore, restaurateur Pinky Cole founded her plant-based burger joint Slutty Vegan in Atlanta five years ago and has since opened 13 locations around the U.S. This year, she’ll bring two vegan restaurant concepts to Baltimore Peninsula. The duo of restaurants will be her first in the region.

Alongside her signature vegan burger eatery, which offers creative takes on plant-based burgers with cheeky names like the “One Night Stand”, Cole will open Bar Vegan, a fullservice restaurant and cocktail bar. She is also a development partner in Rye Street Market.

Having a culinary entrepreneur of Cole’s caliber join our community is pretty fantastic on its own – her buzzworthy outposts draw devoted food fans and celebrities alike and Cole’s empire is reportedly valued at $100 million – but a huge added bonus is that our partnership will help fulfill our long-term commitment to Baltimore by bringing 100 more jobs to Baltimore Peninsula.

Cole is a business leader who believes in the city as much as she does in giving back.

Her youth empowerment nonprofit, The Pinky Cole Foundation, aims to help young people of color leverage entrepreneurial opportunities while building generational wealth in the Black community. The organization was founded in 2019 and focuses on delivering financial literacy-based educational programs. Find out more at PinkyGivesBack.com.

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Number of students, including Anthony Johnson, who participated in our 2022 cohort of Project Jumpstart’s jobtraining program. Read more about Anthony’s story on Page 27.

7 Number of Baltimore City residents hired to work construction jobs at Baltimore Peninsula

1,2

Number of trees planted

by Baltimore Tree Trust in and around our neighborhood. Read more about our commitment to sustainable development on Page 40.

52.2% Percentage of new hires who are Baltimore City residents

$2.5 million

Grants given by the SB7 using funds generated from Baltimore Peninsula’s development

25,000

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Number of oysters distributed to the sanctuary reef by our oyster restoration program, in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Read more about our planned parks and green spaces and waterfront stewardship on Page 40.

Neighborhoods represented in our South Baltimore coalition group 10

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20%

Percentage of our residential apartments that are designated as affordable housing. Read more about our commitment to providing safe, affordable housing in Baltimore on Page 28.

$1+ million

Construction contracts awarded to certified women- and minority-owned businesses based in Baltimore City.

Read more about our innovative solution to address equity in hiring and contract procurement on Page 24.

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Number of local schools in the SB7 partnering with Baltimore Peninsula

$2.5 million

159

Number of entrepreneurs who’ve graduated from Impact Village’s accelerator program, Conscious Venture Labs. Of those, 84 percent are women or minority founders. Read more about program alumni on Page 36.

Amount committed for investment into Baltimore MWBEs

100 Number of Baltimore youth who received jobs last summer through our longtime partnership with Youthworks. Read more about the nonprofit on Page 27.

0+ acres

Total amount of planned green space, parks, and waterfront at Baltimore Peninsula at completion

11 miles

s r e b m u N The waterfront shoreline – including 2.5 miles at Baltimore Peninsula – being restored through the Reimagine Middle Branch Initiative.

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FASHIONING CHANGE Powered by a desire to celebrate and support its hometown, interior design firm Chambers moves its headquarters to Baltimore Peninsula and draws inspiration from purpose-led, like-minded neighbors.

businesses continue to join Baltimore Peninsula.

We are looking forward to collaborating with other businesses and partnering with local leaders to support South Baltimore residents – that’s what Baltimore Peninsula is all about. Developing these programs and initiatives in partnership with organizations like SB7 Coalition [will allow us to] play a meaningful role in the development of these local Baltimore communities.

BP: What kind of philanthropic programs do you participate in?

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Our priority was to create a signature office ... inspired by an environment that emanates talent, grit, and innovation.”

-RICK SNELLINGER

Baltimore Peninsula: How do you envision Chambers impacting the South Baltimore community?

RICK SNELLINGER: We are thrilled to be a part of the overall mission and vision of Baltimore Peninsula to be a creative, innovative area where residents of Baltimore City can live, work and play. Chambers is especially excited to be leading and supporting the corporate community as

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BP: Why did you choose Baltimore Peninsula for your new headquarters?

RS: Chambers’ headquarters has only had six locations in 125 years. With each new location, our leadership chose to move the company into a prominent Baltimore neighborhood. Through the years, each office has sparked innovation, creativity and inspiration. When we were searching for the next chapter of our history, our priority was to create a signature office that would attract the most gifted and bright colleagues who can be inspired and fueled by an environment that emanates talent, grit, and innovation. We believe we have found such a place at Baltimore Peninsula. We’re in alignment with Baltimore Peninsula’s vision to be a neighborhood filled with changemakers, artisans, entrepreneurs, designers and environmentalists working to make an impact – and that is what we strive to do with our work every day.

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ounded in Baltimore in 1899, Chambers is the region’s second largest interior design firm. The storied company has a long history of deep engagement with the local community. So, it’s no surprise that we’re excited to call them our neighbors.

Last year, Chambers reaffirmed its commitment to Baltimore by moving its headquarters to a 9,000-square-foot space at Rye Street Market.

It’s a fitting new chapter for this legacy company, because hometown pride runs deep at Chambers.

Despite the firm’s expansion into other regions over the decades, Baltimore remains home base and more than half of Chambers employees are city residents.

“Our guiding principle for the past 123 years has always been – and continues to be – to fulfill Mr. Chambers’ wish to perpetuate his ‘jewel of a Baltimore company’ through the generations,” Chambers president Rick Snellinger tells us.

We chatted with Snellinger to hear more about what Baltimore means to the Chambers team, and what they’re doing to support their community.

RS: For the last several years, Chambers has “adopted” families from a local Baltimore school for the holidays. We provide meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas as well as gifts for the families at Christmas time. Our entire staff contributes to the program and enjoys meeting children from the families each year. Chambers has also donated to local dance and theater programs, sponsored golf tournaments that raise money for charitable causes, and donated to disaster relief funds in the wake of devastating hurricanes.

DESIGNED FOR

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Baltimore Peninsula serves as a national model for development without displacement. Turn the page to learn more about us.

Local artist Saba Hamidi sits atop the shipping container she painted at Baltimore Peninsula.

COMMUNITY

SOUTH

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SHINES

Baltimore Peninsula’s team is actively involved in community projects around South Baltimore

BALTIMORE

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A CLOSER LOOK AT HOW WE’RE BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR NEIGHBORS

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he word community has myriad definitions. It’s a group of people who share a common interest or characteristic. It’s a neighborhood – the physical place where people live together. And it’s a social state – a sense of fellowship, deep collaboration and purpose.

Today, in South Baltimore, community in all its forms runs deep. But it wasn’t always that way. When Mike Middleton was a child growing up in Cherry Hill, “communities didn’t talk to each other,” he says. “We were divided by major highways.”

Many decades later, Middleton is now Executive Director of the SB7 Coalition, a nonprofit organization that places the Baltimore Peninsula development team in partnership alongside community representatives from six South Baltimore neighborhoods. It’s a collaboration intended to unify and uplift the entire area while allowing communities to control the destiny of their spaces.

Mt. Winans

Westport

Baltimore Peninsula

Lakeland

Cherry Hill

Brooklyn

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Curtis Bay

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SB7 Executive Director Mike Middleton speaks at a community event.

“Part of this process was developing the concept of community,” says Middleton. “The nature of community, to us, was that Baltimore Peninsula would be part of South Baltimore. We didn’t want to isolate it.”

Importantly, the SB7 was structured to give weight to the voices and votes of the surrounding community. Each of the six neighborhoods has two representatives as part of the coalition’s board; the Baltimore Peninsula development team has five.

Additional structural rules help to ensure that the group remains community-directed.

“This has been done from a perspective of, ‘Let’s do it together,’” says Middleton. “Part of what makes it work is [Baltimore Peninsula’s] willingness to assist the community when it needs assistance.”

That assistance can range from the largest projects to the very small. In 2022, Baltimore Peninsula development partners provided $2.5 million in grant funding, which SB7 allocated at three levels of investment. The largest grants are reserved for projects that benefit at least two neighborhoods and support solutions for established priorities like education, safety, transportation, and more. One recent macro-level grant involved a $125,000 award to the South Baltimore Community Land Trust and the Cherry Hill Development Corporation to develop 15 affordable homes in Cherry Hill and Curtis Bay. Another $170,000 went to Brooklyn-based nonprofit organization City of Refuge for a workforce training and placement program.

The program aims to “address systemic poverty by getting people back to work in full-time, living-wage jobs,” leader Pastor Billy Humphrey told The Baltimore Sun. In addition to the larger projects, the SB7 awards grants to the community associations in each neighborhood to support their growth, and smaller $2,500 capacity-building grants that fund projects meeting a direct need within South Baltimore, such as helping a local church purchase a van used to distribute food to people in need, or paying for community celebrations.

An important part of the SB7’s mission is to create ongoing collaboration and communication that contributes to an authentic and sustainable sense of unity that will help boost South Baltimore now and well into the future.

“None of us will succeed if the rest fail,” says Middleton. “But if we expand our concepts of community beyond our own neighborhood, then all of us benefit.”

Join us! The SB7 COALITION meets regularly to discuss community matters.

Find out more at SB7Coalition.org

Greg Sawtell, Chenire Carter, Mike Middleton, Ashley Cotton and Lindsay Staton pose for a portrait outside of the SB7 coalition’s future office space.

A NEW HUB FOR COMMUNITY

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n Brooklyn, our South Baltimore community can find a new headquarters for the SB7 Coalition, built in a collaborative partnership between the SB7, Whiting-Turner Contracting, FAD Architecture, and with financial backing from MAG Partners.

“We wanted a place that would contribute to the rehabilitation of the community,” says SB7 Executive Director Mike Middleton. Middleton sees the hub’s location – on Brookyn’s main thoroughfare, East Patapsco Avenue, in a former dental building that sat vacant for years–as an opportunity to boost community pride while also sparking collaboration and conversation.

The building includes space for members of the coalition and neighborhood organizations to meet and work, plus office space and a multi-purpose area that may be used for a variety of needs, depending on the community’s wishes. “We have an outspoken community with vivid imaginations,” says Middleton. “It’s going to be left up to them.”

Sponsoring the purchase of new gym equipment like volleyballs and jump ropes for Bay Brook Elementary School Volunteer support to unpack, organize, and install items for the school’s new community room, laundry facilities, and food pantry, which was purchased using a grant from the SB7

SUPPORTING OUR SCHOOLS Our students make the future bright! Baltimore Peninsula’s partnerships with United Way of Central Maryland and Elev8 Baltimore help us connect with local school coordinators to get students and families the resources they need. Some of these recent school programs include:

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Donating Thanksgiving turkeys and holiday gifts to families at schools in Brooklyn and Curtis Bay Repainting Curtis Bay Elementary’s modular building, replacing the school’s sign, and refreshing the landscaping before the start of the new school year Painting a new mural at Arundel Elementary School Providing attendance incentives for schools in South Baltimore

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The Power of Parks SEE HOW OUR NEIGHBORHOOD’S 40-PLUS ACRES OF PARKS, WATERFRONT AND RECREATIONAL AREAS WILL IMPROVE ACCESS

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TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS.

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GREEN SPACES HOLD POWER. They can boost your mood, reduce daily stress and encourage healthy habits like regular walking, physical activity and quiet meditation.

Yet a recent report from the Center for American Progress revealed that communities of color are three times more likely to live in areas without natural spaces. Here at Baltimore Peninsula, we’re helping to address that disparity.

Once underutilized land has been transformed into welcoming neighborhood spaces with newly-planted mature trees, 40 acres of public parkland at project completion and 2.5 miles of waterfront access right along the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River. We invite you to discover our outdoor spaces, from the new Elijah’s Park to our revitalized boat launch.

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Adjacent to Rye Street Market and 250 Mission, you’ll find a large, newly greened park and play space named Elijah’s Park, to honor the life and work of the late Baltimore congressman and civil rights leader Elijah Cummings. It was designed with the intention to offer a relaxing retreat for our residents and all those who visit our neighborhood.

A large children’s play area – complete with an epic-scale blue crab structure – is featured in the park along with a poignant contemporary Black Lives Matter mosaic art piece created by Impact Village’s UMBC Choice Program youth.

In one corner, sunlight streams through the lattice-like canopy of tree-shaped steel sculptures, designed by local woman- and minority-owned architectural firm, PI.KL Studios.

The firm was tasked with creating a pavilion-like structure for the park that could simultaneously house utilitarian necessities like a restroom while also providing a gathering space for community members.

The park also had to shine as a centerpiece among the urban, vertical buildings. It would be seen from an on-the-ground perspective, yet also from above. The architects at PI.KL knew the design needed to be dramatic and dynamic.

“What we decided to do was think about a pavilion that was a bit more open and didn’t have a front door, or back door, or inside or outside. We really wanted something that would define the space and allow for gathering and shelter from the sun, while remaining sculptural,” explains PI.KL cofounder Kuo Pao Lian.

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Waterfront Events Oyster Brews & Blues In September, Port Covington Marina hosted the Oyster Brews & Blues event in partnership with conservation nonprofits including Blue Water Baltimore, the Coastal Conservation Association, and Minorities in Aquaculture among many more. Locally harvested oysters, craft beers from nearby breweries, and live blues music set the tone for the free event, which offered fishing lessons on boats provided by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and a shoreline cleanup. The aim: Getting people excited about the natural resources we have right here in our own community.

Tides & Vibes Our summertime Tides & Vibes event set out to educate kids on our local maritime history. Living Classrooms offered deck tours aboard their 1900s-era Chesapeake Bay skipjack, a vessel designed and built to dredge for oysters, and the event included other free activities such as touch tanks, fishing demos, and maritime storytelling from local boat captains, fishers, and aquatic entrepreneurs.

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Oyster Gardening For the last four years, we’ve partnered with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in the quest to restore billions of oysters to local estuaries, where they can do the important work of filtering and cleaning our waterways. In 2022, third-grade students from Westport Academy visited our waterfront site quarterly to clean oyster cages and ride the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Snow Goose workboat to deposit juvenile oysters into a protected sanctuary reef.

Later, experts from the program visited the school to teach students about the importance of oyster stewardship.

This year, our oyster gardening program expanded threefold to include 60 cages, and volunteers will soon be able to assist with the project on weekends. Find more info on oyster gardening and cleanings on the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s website, CBF.org

Visit B A LT I M O R E P E N I N S U L A.C O M to stay tuned for more events centered around ecological and maritime education along the Peninsula waterfront.

The resulting design draws inspiration from organic spaces – imagine the breezy grasses and flowers of an open meadow – and the open format allows for constant use, day or night, weekday or weekend, even if no events are taking place in the park.

“It’s not a harsh object dropped into the park, but it’s actually something that looks like it is growing from the park and feels more organic and natural – and that speaks to the idea of the development as something grown from the ground up,” says Lian. “We’re growing this new district.”

O N T H E WAT E R F R O N T

The blue crab play structure was designed

by Danish playground design studio Monstrum

LOCAL PRIDE PI.KL Studios worked with local steel fabricators to bring their sculptural design to life, including Gemini Fab & Design, a woman-owned business, and Baltimore Fabrication.

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Our neighborhood’s evolution has transformed 2.5 miles of shoreline into waterfront space that’s open for everyone to enjoy. Here, we’re home to one of the only hourly kayak rentals in Baltimore at The Cove, and we host regular events along the water – many of which are free – such as our Sunset Salsa series with SalsaNow, outdoor movie nights with food blogger Charm City Table, and Wellness on the Waterfront fitness series, which includes boot camps and yoga with instructor Marissa Walch. In the near future, The Cove will also offer fishing access.

Part of our rehabilitation of the boat launch area included beautification of the space. We wanted our community to enjoy the waterfront in all its glory while creating an environment that supports our local ecosystem. The boat launch area now includes pollinator and native plant species that improve our bioretention basins to catch stormwater runoff, preserve the health of our water, and provide habitat for mid-Atlantic waterfowl and wildlife.

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United Through Sports

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Located at the Peninsula’s South Point, Volo Beach’s new sprawling athletic complex will feature beach volleyball courts, pickleball courts, and areas for soccer, football, kickball, bocce, and cornhole as well as community spaces with food vendors and live music.

Founder Giovanni Marcantoni launched the adult sports network as a bocce league in 2010 in Federal Hill and in the years since has grown the company into a major amateur sports player, offering more than 15 sports in 10 cities nationwide.

The company’s nonprofit, Volo Kids Foundation, aims to use sports as a tool for healing and uniting communities through free athletic programming that’s open to all children – more than 40,000 and counting.

Head to their website to find out more and reserve a spot at VoloKids.org

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Building Connections, Growing Roots Our focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging is giving local entrepreneurs and small businesses more access to opportunity.

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ech for good is a buzzy phrase these days, from media headlines to boardroom conversations in Silicon Valley and across the country. But how does it work for everyday Americans? For us at Baltimore Peninsula, technology helps us support innovation and spark meaningful change.

Here, local small businesses benefit from tech for good through our data-informed and transparent approach to doing business.

To advance equity and improve supplier diversity, we partnered with Sweeten Enterprises to create a sustainable and strategic action plan that would allow our contractors to more easily connect with local women- and minority-owned businesses (MWBE) for their projects. Sweeten also created an innovative Community Engagement Dashboard, a public portal that allows the community to track the progress on our hiring goals.

“The dashboard is one of its kind,” says Sweeten CEO and founder Jean Brownhill. “No other developer is allowing the community to follow along in that amount of transparency. Usually all of that happens behind closed doors.”

Opening up those doors is key to Baltimore Peninsula’s vision, mission and purpose – and it’s a part of our longterm commitment to and agreement with the city. To date,

our MWBE contracting rates stand at 35 percent minority-owned contractors and 13 percent women-owned businesses, to the tune of almost $98 million and $36.7 million, respectively.

“It’s really a commitment of this project that it’s not just the dictation of the Memorandum of Understanding [between Baltimore Peninsula and the city],” says Brownhill.

“It’s a culture of wanting to make sure there are women participating, there is local participation, there is minority participation – not just in construction but in the property management, in the tenant build outs.”

Through this platform, one of the challenges Sweeten is working with us to solve is a systematic gatekeeping of who gets access to projects. Providing a direct connection between hiring decision-makers and MWBE business owners can help reduce those who-you-know privileges and promote equal hiring.

For business owner Karen Tisdale, whose Baltimorebased asphalt milling and paving company Fallsway Construction was hired as a contractor on the Baltimore Peninsula project, this technology is a move in the right direction. “I’m excited to see [people] investing in platforms that showcase the qualifications and skills of small minority-owned and women-owned businesses such as mine, with the goal of providing the opportunity for … our businesses to be utilized on projects of this size and scope,” says Tisdale.

But our work to contract with MWBE talent isn’t the only thing we’ve been doing to increase economic equity here. We work closely with partners at the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development to make sure we’re increasing employment access through new job creation that will lead to sustainable long-term employment for residents and workers. Keep reading to learn more about the valued partnerships that help us develop a strong, local workforce pipeline.

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No other developer is allowing the community to follow along in that amount of transparency.

Brownhill unveils our community engagement dashboard

-SWEETEN CEO AND FOUNDER JEAN BROWNHILL

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Teaming Up on Workforce Development We’ve partnered with local organizations to bring more jobs and upskilling opportunities directly into our community

ALL ABOUT YOUTHWORKS

T Local area teens on the job with YouthWorks

raining our youth is an important part of creating a sustainable future for our city.

That’s one of the reasons we’ve prioritized working with organizations that bring opportunities to underserved communities. Baltimore Peninsula has supported the city-run youth employment program YouthWorks for more than seven years, with a special commitment to employing youth from our South Baltimore neighborhoods. In 2022, 277 young people from the SB7 region were employed

by YouthWorks. And our recent donation helped sponsor the employment of 100 teens in neighborhoods throughout the city last summer. Learn more at YouthWorks.OEDWorks.com.

S P O T L I G H T O N P R O J E C T J U M P S TA R T

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hampioning equitable hiring practices means supporting organizations that help get people the training and assistance needed for long-term employment.

One of the groups doing admirable work in this area is Project Jumpstart, a nonprofit that offers construction training programs for Baltimore City residents. The group’s instructors help participants prepare for success in a 15week program, and more than 80 percent of graduates end up placed in construction jobs.

In 2022, we sponsored a Project Jumpstart session at Baltimore Peninsula, with 22 students participating in the program. Anthony Johnson was one of them. The Midtown resident had served 28 years in prison for an

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armed robbery charge at age 14. After his 2021 release, he struggled to find a stable job.

“Anthony came through the Project Jumpstart class, and he did everything he was supposed to do,” recalls Project Jumpstart executive director Jimmy Stewart.

“He showed up on time, had a great attitude, worked hard; and he ended up getting placed with a company before he graduated because he earned it.”

After completing the pre-apprenticeship program, Johnson was hired by Anderson Fire Protection as a sprinkler installation apprentice. “He’s doing extremely well,” says Stewart. Learn more at ProjectJump startTraining.org.

THE COMFORTS OF HOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT BUILDS COMMUNITY AND CONNECTION

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hen it comes to choosing a place to live, there’s perhaps nothing more important than security in all its forms. For some, that means financial stability. For others, it’s safety from the elements and potential dangers.

And for still more, it’s the feeling of comfort that a home can provide.

For one neighbor living at 250 Mission, it’s all of the above. The resident moved into the building in April 2023 with her teenage son, who is neurodivergent and requires extra care. The affordable housing program allowed mother and child to find a sense of community and safety they’d never experienced at their previous home in West Baltimore. The family’s new place and all its indoor and outdoor spaces provide newfound independence for both of them.

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MATTHEW BORKOSKI PHOTOGRAPHY (2)

A F F O R DA B I L I T Y

250 Mission apartments feature luxe finishes, 24-hour maintenance and concierge services.

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I love that sense of security and community.

It’s something I won’t ever take for granted.

-250 MISSION RESIDENT

Recently, on a summer evening when Baltimore Peninsula was hosting one of its regular outdoor movie nights, the resident had a conflicting invitation to another event. When she showed up at the party, her friends were surprised. Where was her son? He’d always been with her, but not this time.

Instead, her son had gone to the outdoor movie night without her.

The key difference? A place built to create connection. Her new neighbors know her and her son, and the Baltimore Peninsula community is looking out for both of them.

“When you have children, you have to give up so much of your life. My son is always with me.

So, to be able to go someplace after work and leave him home, and not have to worry about him – it’s comforting,” the resident says. “I love that sense of security and community. It’s something I won’t ever take for granted. It makes you comfortable.”

Ensuring that home and comfort are synonymous is central to our vision, and our long-term commitment to the City. Nearly 90 of Baltimore Peninsula’s residential units – 20 percent of the apartments inside Rye House and 250 Mission Street – are designated for income eligible tenants.

More than half of these units are reserved for those earning less than 50 percent of the area median income.

These apartment homes are the same as any of the other units throughout the luxurious buildings, where all tenants have equal access to shared spaces that feature high-end finishes and luxury amenities.

That our affordable apartments rented with lightning speed shows just how desirable our units were at launch, but we know the bigger picture also reveals an incredible demand for affordable housing – here in Baltimore and across America.

Home affordability has ballooned into a nationwide crisis after housing costs outpaced incomes year after year. Numerous economic studies show that households of color experience cost burdens at a disproportionate rate, alongside lower homeownership levels compared to white households.

In Maryland, one in five severely cost-burdened renters live in Baltimore City; yet in our metro area, there’s a deficit of more than 70,000 housing units for this income group.

Our mission is to be a part of positive change by offering more of Baltimore to love, and we’re proud to provide modern, safe, and beautiful living spaces to our new neighbors, including a movie-loving teenager and his mom, who says moving to Baltimore Peninsula has been transformative – and still feels a little like a dream.

“I say to my son all the time, ‘Can you believe we actually live here now’?” she says. “I can’t believe I actually get to [call this place home].”

ABOUT OUR A PA R T M E N T H O M E S Our affordable housing units offer luxe amenities such as in-unit full-size washer and dryer, indoor bike storage, parking, concierge service, 24-hour maintenance, visitor management, and keyless smart locks. Plus, Bozzuto management services include plant care, cat care, and newspaper and package delivery.

250 MISSION

35 units designated affordable at 80% area median income (AMI)

This apartment community features studio, one- and two-bedroom units, with luxury details like hardwood-style flooring, kitchens with porcelain backsplashes and quartz countertops, and balconies in some units. The apartments include access to shared amenities like a ground-floor lounge, coworking and business center, clubroom, fitness center and outdoor gathering spaces.

Live250Mission.com RYE HOUSE

45 low-income housing tax credit units available at 50% AMI and 9 units available at 30% AMI with project-based vouchers

Our waterfront apartment building offers studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom rentals that come complete with quartz counters, stainless steel appliances, and ceramic tile backsplashes, plus premium lighting and fixtures. Select apartments offer outdoor balconies, and all units include access to the shared amenity spaces, like a clubroom with private meeting and dining spaces, lounge, and billiard room. A beautiful rooftop terrace features grills, dining space, and panoramic views of the waterfront and skyline. LiveRyeHouse.com

PUBLIC ART

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Local artists are creating new works and bridging community connections in and around Baltimore Peninsula.

PAUL NEWSON PHOTOGRAPHY, TEDD HENN, KIANNA WILSON

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Clockwise from Top Left: She Wants War by J Law at Rye Street Market Arts; vendor at BLK ASS FAMILY REUNION; Building Community by Latoya Peoples at Rye Street Market Arts; Roe Vision; Hanover Bridge piece, Gravity Dam, by Se Jong Cho; Moto Valkyrie Concrete Diorama by Scott B. Tucker at Rye Street Market Arts; Live artist at BLK ASS FLEA MKT; Libertad by Edgar Reyes at Rye Street Market Arts; Hanover Bridge piece, Ma by Ernest Shaw; Madelyne Adams painting Saba Hamidi’s mural; Hanover Street Bridge

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PERHAPS MORE THAN ANY OTHER PLACE IN AMERICA, BALTIMORE IS A CITY

BY CREATIVES, FOR CREATIVES. We push boundaries, provoke thought and respond to cultural moments in ways that are distinctly us.

Today, the city we call home cultivates much more than charm alone.

Its people, stories, spaces and places inspire artistic expression for a diverse community of visionaries, from traditionally trained artists exhibiting on an international level to self-taught creators showcasing imaginative pieces at the American Visionary Art Museum.

Our city’s homegrown creativity is celebrated every day here at Baltimore Peninsula and throughout the neighborhoods of South Baltimore, with the help of community organizations like Cherry Hill’s Youth Resiliency Institute (YRI), a Black-led cultural arts nonprofit that has worked for more than a decade to provide arts education programs while also supporting emerging South Baltimore artists.

“Art is strong in South Baltimore,” says YRI Executive Director Fanon Hill. “We take pride in shining a light on the brilliance that resides in our communities.”

BRIDGING CONNECTIONS

In 2019, Baltimore Peninsula partnered with YRI and several other area arts organizations to plan an outdoor gallery of local artists’ work along the façade of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge (also known as the Hanover Street Bridge). The project took cues from Miami’s Wynwood Walls–but was done with an only-in-Baltimore slant and inspired by the work of celebrated and influential Black artist and scholar David Driskell, a renowned painter and leading authority on Black art who lived in Maryland until his death in 2020.

YRI helped shape the project by engaging South Baltimore residents in conversation on how to unite both sides of the bridge in an artistic storytelling experience. Community members of all ages and backgrounds were encouraged to share their vision for the project – a curation process that was rooted in equity and access, Hill explains.

“We see art as a powerful tool for addressing social justice issues and providing access for residents to engage in arts and culture at every level,” says Hill. “Historically, there’s been an understanding that, in many ways, the Hanover Street Bridge has divided our communities.

We wanted to shift that narrative and focus on the Hanover Street

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Work by local artists was installed on the Hanover Street Bridge

WORKS ON VIEW

S O O K K Y U N G PA R K “The Moon” Origami and spray paint Location: 250 Mission Lobby

LEFT: TEDD HENN. RIGHT: COURTESY OF THE ARTISTS

“I explore the topic of connection between people by folding thousands of small pieces of paper that are bound tightly, creating a connected and unified structure.

Paper has a fragile property that is easily torn, but it is made into a strong material by folding thin paper into several layers and weaving them overlapping each other again. This is to express that our society is strongest when people are united and integrated.”

ALBERT SCHWEITZER

AMY BOONE-MCCREESH

“Floating Orb” Alcohol ink on Yupo paper Location: Rye Street Lobby

“Curtain (Primaries)” Mixed media, including laser-cut acrylic, beans, hand-cut and painted paper, macrame and steel Location: Rye Street Lobby

“My alcohol ink paintings create a world of Cosmos and Zen-like worlds. I hope the viewer enjoys the harmony and mystery of the floating … orbs and … electric energy.”

Bridge as an icon that can unite South Baltimoreans and serve as a picturesque backdrop.”

The end result: Large-scale vinyl replications of original works by a diverse set of 24 Maryland artists, who were each paid a licensing fee. On the Cherry Hill side, artist Dirk Joseph created the art that lines the 10 archway columns under the bridge.

While intended as a temporary installation, some of the art is still visible on the bridge. YRI still uses it today as a point of reference for their arts education – and as a symbol of what can happen when communities collaborate.

The Hanover Street Bridge Gallery isn’t the only place to spot local art on or around Baltimore Peninsula. Amid the apartment homes, office spaces, and retail storefronts, residents and visitors can find art installations ranging from sculpture to photography. Some of these works were created through our partnership with Maryland Art Place, a group that helped us commission 10 permanent pieces by local Baltimore artists, including Sookkyung Park’s origami-like sculpture, Albert Schweitzer’s alcohol ink paintings, and other dynamic works.

The talent exhibited is on par with what you’ll see in art fairs across Europe or Asia, says Maryland Art Place Executive Director Amy

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“I have an interest in creating work that walks the line of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ taste and when things teeter into feeling over the top or maximal. This piece is part of a larger body of work that looks at the ways we live and inhabit homes and spaces and how that manifests visually.

The view out of your window, if you have access to green space [is an] indicator of access and class.”

Cavanaugh. “Artists choose to live and work here because they can afford to do it, but many of them are showing nationally and internationally,” she explains.

S P OT L I G H T I N G B L AC K E XC E L L E N C E

Over in Rye Street Market, five works by Baltimore City artists were curated by The Last Resort Artist Retreat, a residency program for Black creatives, and Rubys Artist Grants, which provides funding to Baltimore-area artists to support innovative and impactful projects.

The art, which includes graffiti-style paintings and Afro-Futurisminspired kinetic sculptures, represents the perspectives of creatives who may not have access to what for generations has been America’s hyper-exclusive gallery scene.

Leaders from The Last Resort say exhibition partnerships like Looking for more South Baltimore art experiences? Youth Resiliency Institute hosts the C H E R RY H I L L A R T S & M U S I C WAT E R F R O N T F E S T I VA L each year on July 4, with live music, food vendors, kids activities, international programming and lots more. Head to CherryHillFest.com to learn more.

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Our celebration of creativity won’t stop!

B L K AS S F L E A M K T A N D T H E LO CA L S

hosted more than 60 local businesses, artists, and creatives to celebrate Black culture and community. During the event, artists created live paintings and guests took photos against a custom painted backdrop by Roe Vision (above).

the one with Baltimore Peninsula further their mission by helping to democratize the art world and widen the aperture for artist-patron relationships.

“We feel strongly about nurturing Black creativity and providing a platform for cultural workers here in Baltimore whose work deserves to be amplified in a majority Black city,” says Thomas F. James, executive director of The Last Resort Artist Retreat. James adds that community-based arts initiatives – particularly those in post-industrial cities like Baltimore and Detroit – are a win-win for creatives and businesses alike.

“The work they put into community-based efforts in the neighborhoods they live in and build up brings a certain level of trust and excitement to the people they constantly connect with,” James explains.

“The smart [businesses] intentionally make space for these creatives to work and exhibit, … and providing stipends for these creatives to continue their practices as well as giving opportunities for them to be involved in other ways — whether for gathering in safe social space or moneymaking avenues — is the right way for businesses to lay roots in a community that has not always been treated justly.”

The Last Resort-curated exhibition was featured in the windows of Rye Street Market through December 2023. And while that show is over, our commitment to spotlighting local creativity won’t stop there.

Stay connected with us on social media to learn more about public art exhibitions, community workshops and events to come in the future.

By Cavanaugh’s count, there’s no shortage of amazing talent to spotlight: “It’s so important that developers are investing in this cultural community. There are so many talented artists here,” says Cavanaugh. “This idea that you have to go to New York to access good contemporary art is insane—because it lives here. The more [that community partners like Baltimore Peninsula] can do to highlight that and show that Baltimore has this here, the better.”

F E AT U R E D ARTISTS RYE STREET MARKET ARTS Kolpeace Jordan Lawson Scott Benjamin Tucker LaToya Peoples Edgar Reyes Roe Vision

HANOVER STREET BRIDGE

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Ernest Shaw Will Shanklin Se Jong Co Sarah Tilton Ben Marcin Emily Uchytil Katty Huertas Elli Hernandez Alfonso Fernandez Magnolia Laurie Rene Trevino (below) Karl Connolly Jenee Mateer Minas Konsolas Timothy J. Horjus Amy Helminiak Terence Hannum Jowita Wyszomirska Dirk Joseph

INSPIRED BY PLACE

says Saba. “The organic shapes, combined with detailed patterns, would work together to draw people in closer to the mural and invite them to ‘decode’ what each shape, pattern, and color may mean.”

Saba’s dynamic mural includes homages to our city, like historic Belgian Block streets, feathers (from Orioles and Ravens, naturally), and the geometric shapes depicted in the Maryland state flag. See if you can find all the Baltimore references in her design!

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I wanted to use waves to create a design that would [encourage] movement and flow across the container.

-SABA HAMIDI

PERMANENT COLLECTION Laura Amussen Tracy Barwick Amy Boone McCreesh Kevin Hailey Sookkyung Park Stephen Reichert E. Brady Robinson Albert Schweitzer Rachel Rush Kelly Walker

THIS PAGE: TOP: KIANNA WILSON. BOTTOM: PETER HOBLITZELL. OPPOSITE PAGE: IAN BELL

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visual love letter to Baltimore, Saba Hamidi’s vibrant mural on The Lawn acts as a colorful welcome to our neighborhood.

We commissioned this local artist and storyteller to paint a shipping container design that would greet residents and visitors, and she delivered with a concept drawn from Baltimore pride and inspired by waves to signify impact.

“I wanted to use waves – metaphorically and geometrically – to create a design that would [encourage] movement and flow across the container,”

Trace Miller

g n i d l i Bu

We invite you to explore our neighborhood, our city, our home.

COMMUNITY

Our local makers workshops are part of a diverse array of regularly occurring programs and special events held at Baltimore Peninsula. Visit our website at BaltimorePeninsula.com to learn more.

PHOTO CREDITS

Cultivating Change

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MATT RYB PHOTO CREDITS

At Baltimore Peninsula’s Impact Village, small businesses and social enterprises build capacity and give back.

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aking an impact matters to us – and that’s why we’ve built places and spaces to grow it. We created Impact Village to provide free office and workshop space, plus training and business necessities like WiFi access, supplies and security, to a variety of small businesses and nonprofits who are working to help improve our city.

In the years since Impact Village launched, it’s been home to myriad organizations, including Conscious Venture Lab, an early-stage startup accelerator. Launched in 2013 by founder (and serial entrepreneur) Jeff Cherry, the accelerator program is built to train diverse founders using mentorship, technology, and a curriculum centered around purpose-driven missions and cultures of caring.

Some of the successful businesses that have launched from this program include Hungry Harvest, which diverts food waste by rerouting excess fruits and vegetables from farms to customer’s doorsteps, and Lor Tush, a Black-womenowned company based in West Baltimore, which makes toilet paper from responsibly sourced bamboo.

Impact Village helps Baltimore Peninsula realize its purpose-driven mission to build a sustainable community powered by diversity and access to opportunity. Read on to meet three business leaders who’ve grown their organizations right here.

A current tenant in Impact Village, Sharp Dressed Man provides men in re-entry, recovery and workforce programs with personal styling services and fittings for professional business wear. In addition to their Impact Village headquarters, the organization uses a mobile unit to transport garments, accessories and more to partners in South Baltimore and surrounding communities.

What’s a challenge you overcame with the help of the Impact Village community?

“During the pandemic, our organization couldn’t bear the

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financial burden of a $2,000 price tag on a facility in Old Town Mall that was locked down like everything else at that time. We made the difficult decision to move out. We were scrambling to find a space we could run the operation out of without breaking the bank, which is tough for a small nonprofit. We’ve been so grateful for the opportunity and meaningful relationship we’ve built with Impact Village. Thanks to [them], we can house more inventory … store our vehicle, and serve more of our community.” -Elisa Wells, Former Executive Director. Visit Sharp Dressed Man.org to learn more.

PHOTO CREDITS

SHARP DRESSED MAN

REVEILLE GROUNDS This nonprofit group is built around connecting the military community through a collaborative coworking space. Founded by Marine spouse Katie Kilby, Reveille Grounds offers support, resources, camaraderie and opportunities geared toward the needs of veterans and their families. Last August, the company graduated from Impact Village into a larger space in Carroll-Camden, and in November they opened the region’s first Veteran & Community Impact Hub.

In what ways does your organization impact our local community?

“At Reveille, we firmly believe that stronger veterans will result in thriving communities, and the places where we all live, work, play, and serve could truly benefit from the unique capabilities possessed by our men and women who have worn the uniform. By creating a physical hub with a focus on colocation and collaboration, we can facilitate access and exposure to the diverse

programs, resources, and opportunities that exist to serve and engage the military and veteran community.

As we build – and house – our ecosystem, we’re able to meet individuals and families where they are, support them as they climb the ladder of transition, renew their sense of purpose, and ask them to continue to be the leaders this country trained them to be.” -Katie Kilby, Founder & President.

Visit ReveilleGrounds.com to learn more.

PHOTO CREDITS

MOMCARES Ana Rodney founded MOMCares after her own experience with a traumatic birth.

The nonprofit organization supports Black mothers in Baltimore throughout the birthing process, focusing on those navigating highrisk pregnancies or NICU experiences. The group provides services, referrals, community, and advocacy through free doula care, transportation stipends, and baby care essentials, plus education and support for everything from lactation care and stress management to parenting practices, and more. In the six years since its founding, MOMCares has expanded from serving postpartum families to supporting the full spectrum of perinatal needs.

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How did being a part of Impact Village help you succeed?

“Having access to a free office space as we began our work in the community was catalytic. We were able to hold meetings, workshops, and host partners in a space that was clean and inviting. And it allowed us to fundraise without the need to worry about paying rent or utilities for our space, and opened [up] possibilities for how we could interact with our families, [like] inviting them to participate in our healing circles.

Not having … that overhead early on helped set us up for the success we are enjoying now.” -Ana Rodney, Founder.

Visit MomCares.org to learn more.

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

Greener for Good

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he buildings, businesses, shoreline and parks that make up our neighborhood may be new, but they’re meant to live a long and purposeful life here at Baltimore Peninsula. Our vision of sustainability is rooted in ideas of longevity and intention. And in practice, this approach includes everything from choosing native plantings for our outdoor spaces to supporting local organizations that are working for a healthy, just and environmentally responsible tomorrow. Read on to explore some of the ways we’re invested in a greener future for Baltimore.

Buildings that meet or exceed the 2018 International Green Construction Code Former industrial land remediated in partnership with Maryland Department of the Environment Introduction of the Gwynns Falls Trash Wheel to help clean and preserve the Middle Branch waterway Green infrastructure includes on-site charging stations for electric vehicles, green roofs, cisterns, and an aquifer-based wastewater facility

Sustainable landscaping techniques such as vegetative bioretention, plus investments in floating wetlands, mature plantings and native plant species 1,462 trees planted by the Baltimore Tree Trust to offset tree displacement at our site and beyond A network of bike paths promotes cycling through protected lanes, and on-site bike storage encourages regular physical activity 40+ acres of green space planned for outdoor enjoyment and recreational use

GRANTS TO LOCAL GROUPS South Baltimore is home to so many different organizations striving to create a sustainable future for all. In our Community Benefits Agreement, we made a commitment to supporting environmental groups that work on projects like urban farming. Here are three of the local activist organizations who have received grants to help make positive change in our community.

Black Yield Institute The Black Yield Institute, based in Cherry Hill, is a think tank, urban farm, and collective action network tackling food inequalities by creating a self-reliant community of Black institutions and businesses. Cofounder Eric Jackson – an organizer, educator, and filmmaker – and his team leverage grant funding to work on their goals of mitigating food disparities and economic injustices.

Visit BlackYieldInstitute.org to learn how you can join the movement for equity and food justice in Baltimore.

Baltimore Compost Collective This local service collects food scraps from Baltimore homes and composts it at the Filbert Street Community Garden in Curtis Bay, where it’s used to grow fresh produce and shore up urban food security while restoring local soil and limiting incinera-

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tion. The Black-led collective also runs an entrepreneurship program for teenagers that teaches workforce skills and environmentally responsible practices. Learn how Baltimore Compost Collective is harnessing the power of composting at BaltimoreCompostCollective.org.

South Baltimore Community Land Trust The South Baltimore Community Land Trust works to create development without displacement and zero waste in Baltimore.

Decades of discriminatory public policy led to South Baltimore becoming a regional center for hazardous waste disposal. Now, the group has developed a Zero Waste plan that includes, among other things, building new community-owned compost along with deconstruction and reuse infrastructure.

Learn more about the SBCLT’s efforts to reimagine waste management at SBCLT.org.

PREVIOUS SPREAD: TOP: MATT RYB; LEFT: KHAMAREE OWENS. RIGHT TOP: KATIE KILBY. BOTTOM: KYLE POMPEY. OPPOSTIE PAGE: ALEXANDER JAH

A look at how Baltimore Peninsula’s infrastructure, programs and partnerships are helping to secure a sustainable future.

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PHOTO CREDITS

EVENTS

NEIGHBORHOOD

We’re busy here! Baltimore Peninsula builds community year-round through public programs and activities that create impact, from charity dinners to diaper drives and neighborhood cleanups.

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SUPPORTING BLACK MAKERS Our BLK ASS FLEA MKT series supports local Black small business owners by providing them with a venue to sell, shop and pop up in the community. So far, more than 180 local vendors have participated in the event, which has also featured collaborations with our city’s creatives including Bronte of The Locals Baltimore.

At one recent flea, attendees posed for portraits while a DJ mixed beats for the crowd.

Check out our What’s Happening page at BaltimorePeninsula.com to find out more about this and other ongoing community events.

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HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL

OPPOSITE PAGE: KIANNA WILSON THIS PAGE: TOP: DOM J. PHOTOGRAPHY. BOTTOM: JAE SIP

Baltimore Peninsula’s annual Halloween festival featured a DJ dance party, face painting, crafts and a moonbounce.

Families came out dressed in amazing costumes and enjoyed a night of trick-or-treating in our community.

THE JOY OF JAZZ Our stage brings joy to the community, one beat at a time. The Finn Group’s Jazzy Summer Nights has become a local favorite, bringing together musicians, creatives and community members for soulful, dynamic family fun by the water’s edge.

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TRUCK & BOAT TOUCH Local families joined members of the Baltimore Fire Department and our development partners for an interactive afternoon that allowed wide-eyed kids to get up close, touch and even climb on heavy machinery and big marine vessels.

WORKING TOGETHER IN WESTPORT Our team members organized a community cleanup day in Westport. We picked up litter and weeded alleyways and parks, and collected and carted away bulk trash as part of the neighborhood beautification.

DIAPER DRIVE To address the unmet needs of Baltimore’s most vulnerable children, we partnered with ShareBaby and City of Refuge to collect more than 200,000 diapers to distribute to local moms.

Check out our WHAT’S HAPPENING PAGE at BaltimorePeninsula.com to find out more about this and other ongoing community events.

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CIAA GAMETIME BREAKFAST

OPPOSITE PAGE: TOP: MATT RYB (2)

Baltimore business power players and HBCU leaders convened on our campus to celebrate the CIAA’s long-time commitment to play in the City of Baltimore.

The mayor, civic leaders and higher education titans were on hand for the tournament’s event celebrating Black excellence in education and collegiate athletics.

DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT Dance enthusiasts of all ages join us during the warmer months for Sunset Salsa, a community connection series from SalsaNow that encourages our neighbors to express themselves, get active and try new things—each event starts with a free hour-long dance lesson.

BALTIMORE STOCKING EXCHANGE Our team came together to gather up and wrap up gifts for our neighbors in and around South Baltimore. Last year, we distributed toys, bikes and books to more than 300 local families.

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