For Immediate Release
Date: April 27, 2024
PRESS RELEASE
Community Partners Celebrate Housing Milestone, Welcome Back Perkins Square Residents
First phase completion provides 103 mixed-income housing units, marks major milestone for Perkins, Somerset Oldtown Transformation
BALTIMORE — Today, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) joined with elected officials, McCormack Baron Salazar (MBS), development and community partners, and residents to celebrate the completion of Phase 1 of Perkins Square, formerly known as Perkins Homes, providing 103 new mixed-income housing units.
Perkins Phase 1 is part of the mixed-use, multi-phase redevelopment of the Perkins, Somerset, Oldtown (PSO) Transformation that is made possible with the support of $40 million in Choice Neighborhood Implementation grants awarded to HABC since 2018. The total PSO redevelopment includes one-for-one replacement of the Perkins public housing units interspersed with workforce and market rate units.
The Perkins Square community will encompass 796 of the total 1,651 new mixed-income units being developed across the entire PSO. MBS is the lead development partner for Perkins Square, working in concert with Beatty Development and Cross Street Partners.
“Providing affordable and low-income housing is critical for our communities,” said Janet Abrahams, HABC’s President and CEO. “HABC, along with its partners, has collaboratively demonstrated a commitment to neighborhood revitalization through redevelopments like Perkins Square.”
“We thank Mayor Scott and HABC for the opportunity to support the transformation of Perkins where families and children may thrive,” said Vince Bennett, President, McCormack Baron Salazar. “One of the greatest needs in our cities is high quality affordable housing and through public-private partnerships and leveraging public resources and combined with private debt and equity, the choice neighborhoods program can help achieve great outcomes and support community resiliency.”
The community includes a mix of replacement public housing, additional affordable housing, and market-rate rental housing. Phase 1 has accessibility and vision/hearing-impaired units within a range of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments. Amenities and features include internet access, community kitchen, in-unit washer and dryer, on-site leasing center and supportive services office, computer lab, a fitness center, underground parking, and a playground.
As part of the ribbon-cutting celebration, HABC, MBS, and partners hosted a block party to welcome back Perkins Square residents. The festivities included guided tours of common areas and staged units, food trucks, music, games for all ages, and vending tables for community partners and local businesses to provide information and resources. Participants included state and local officials, development team partners and representatives from the Perkins Tenant Council, City Springs School and residents.
Phase 1 is one of nine phases for Perkins Square. On its heels, will be the completion of Perkins Phase 2, set for delivery in Fall 2024. That phase will feature 156 mixed-income rental units, with 76 set aside for legacy Perkins residents.
Originally built in 1942, Perkins Homes had outlived its useful life such that its complete demolition was necessary. Construction for Phase 1 of Perkins Square began August 2022, led by Commercial Construction, a local minority led firm.
Kevin Johnson, CEO of Commercial Construction, said "This project has been a beacon of opportunity, putting Baltimoreans to work and opening doors for numerous MWBE firms. We are proud that our team prioritized local minority partnerships, reflecting our commitment to community and economic empowerment. The quality of construction goes beyond physical structures—it respects and uplifts the dignity of every resident, setting a new standard for what affordable housing should represent.”
The project, designed by Hord Coplan Macht, has received the 2022 American Institute of Architects Chesapeake Bay Chapter Honor Award, the 2022 American Institute of Architects Maryland Chapter Unbuilt Award, and the Maryland Building Industry Association Award for exceptional affordable housing design.
Visit the PSO Transformation page for more information about the entire project.
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About McCormack Baron Salaza
McCormack Baron Salazar is one of the nation’s leading developers, property managers, and asset managers of economically integrated urban neighborhoods. Since 1973, the firm has been an innovator of community development and urban revitalization in 48 cities, having built more than 25,000 high-quality homes with total development costs of over $5 billion.
About HABC
The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (HABC) was established in 1937 to provide federally funded public housing programs and related services for Baltimore’s low-income residents. HABC is the fifth largest public housing authority in the U.S., providing quality affordable housing for more than 23,000 households. The agency creates diverse and vibrant communities, provides opportunities for self-sufficiency, and builds pathways for strong partnerships.
