PIKESVILLE, MD—Baltimore County will invest $9.5 million to help transform the historic Pikesville Armory into a community hub, officials announced. The funding will support the construction of outdoor athletic fields, a walking path, and destination playgrounds.

The county’s commitment is part of a multi-phased plan to redevelop the 14-acre property, which includes a state-of-the-art senior center and indoor and outdoor recreation facilities.

The project is a partnership between Baltimore County, the Pikesville Armory Foundation, Seawall Development, and ONYX Development.

Baltimore County transferred the property to the Pikesville Armory Foundation (PAF) in 2023 to support efforts to revitalize the site. Since then, the Olszewski administration has provided nearly $6 million in capital grants to support pre-development activities, including an additional $500,000 in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget for outdoor recreation fields.

Under the terms of a memorandum of understanding (MOU), Baltimore County will invest $9.5 million over the next several years to support the planning, design, and construction of the outdoor recreation amenities. In addition, the county will partner with Seawall Development and the PAF to develop 30,000 square feet of indoor multisport courts and a new 25,000 square foot senior center. If outside funding does not materialize, the outdoor recreational amenities will still be constructed. The county will not be responsible for any budget shortfalls.

“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.”

“We are pleased to be part of this project that will bring such a positive impact to the greater Pikesville Community and Reisterstown Road corridor,” said Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks Director Bob Smith. “We recognize that this region has long needed freestanding recreation space for growing programs, and we are extremely thankful to County Executive Olszewski and the Pikesville Armory Foundation for the vision to finally see this need met.”

This project is the latest in a series of investments in the second district by the Olszewski administration, which has invested $172 million in capital funding for 124 projects since 2018.

The first phase of the project, the renovation of the property’s NCO Club building, began in April 2024. The building, a key component of the campus’ inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, is expected to be completed by spring 2025. The building will serve as a home for Pikesville-based Recreation and Parks employees and will continue to offer meeting, event, and office space to community members and local organizations.

Construction of the second phase of the project, including the outdoor recreation facilities, is expected to begin in early 2026. The project is projected to take approximately two years to complete.

The Pikesville Armory Foundation will continue to lead the redevelopment process, working alongside developers ONYX Development and Seawall. The foundation released official renderings for the project in January 2024. Community input contributed to plans for the renovation and adaptive reuse of the main Armory building.

“The redeveloped Armory campus will be the realization of the community vision initiated six years ago by an in-depth citizen participation process. The partnership with Baltimore County announced today will create intergenerational opportunities and benefits for the entire northwest Baltimore City and County region,” said Pikesville Armory Foundation (PAF) Board President Shelley Morhaim.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

Photo by Pubdog (talk) via en.wikipedia