After building corporate headquarters for many different companies around the country, the Whiting-Turner Contracting Company is planning to build one for itself — on the Goucher College campus in Towson.
The company announced on Wednesday that it is working with Goucher to construct a 150,000-square-foot building to house its corporate headquarters and stand as a cornerstone of the long-term collaboration between the two organizations.
Founded in 1909, Whiting-Turner is one of the largest general contracting and construction management firms in the nation. For the past 51 years, it has been based at the Hampton Plaza Office Building at 300 E. Joppa Road in Towson, not far from the Goucher campus at 1021 Dulaney Valley Road. Between 200 and 250 employees work from that location.
Whiting-Turner is aiming to complete its new headquarters by late 2028. Gensler is the architect, and Gensler Global Co-Chair Diane Hoskins will oversee the project. The site is at the “front” or west side of campus, near Dulaney Valley Road. A rendering shows a building that will rise four stories and be clad in the same Butler stone as other campus structures.
“Relocating our headquarters to the Goucher College campus represents a significant milestone for Whiting-Turner,” said Whiting-Turner President and CEO Tim Regan, in a statement.
“This partnership brings together two historic Baltimore institutions with more than a century of leadership and innovation. It reflects our commitment to the future growth of our company while strengthening our ties to the community. We are excited to collaborate with Goucher to create a space that cultivates engagement, innovation, and lasting partnerships for generations to come.”
Whiting Turner said in its announcement on citybiz.co that its new headquarters will be a “dynamic, multi-faceted space” designed to foster connections with both the Goucher community and the surrounding Towson area.
Besides serving as a new home for Whiting-Turner’s local employees, the company said, the facility will support state-of-the-art, safety-focused industry training and other community-focused initiatives.
In preparation for the development, Whiting-Turner and Goucher representatives have signed a 50-year ground lease agreement, reinforcing their commitment to long-term growth and collaboration. They’re also developing ways to use the new headquarters as a hub for introducing young people to career opportunities in the design and construction industries.
A private liberal arts college, Goucher was founded in Baltimore in 1885 as the Woman’s College of Baltimore City, renamed after founder John Franklin Goucher in 1910 and moved to its Towson campus in the 1950s. It was an all-female institution until 1986.
Whiting-Turner’s announcement comes six months after Goucher and Edenwald Senior Living unveiled plans to build a “university retirement community” on the Goucher campus, combining the college’s educational and cultural activities with Edenwald’s services and amenities to create a multi-generational community that fosters lifelong learning.
“As Goucher celebrates its 140th anniversary this year, we are thrilled to partner with Whiting-Turner, another longstanding Baltimore community member and national industry leader, on their new headquarters,” said Goucher President Kent Devereaux, in a statement.
“This partnership is future-focused and takes an innovative approach to business development, education, and community engagement while opening the door to collaborative experiential learning opportunities and workforce pipelines for future generations.”
I’m a Goucher grad and the question I had at the end of this article is, “Where on campus will this new building be?”
They really need a monstrosity like this for corporate offices? Ridiculous. Goucher campus is beautiful and they are putting this building there for what reason? Why would a construction firm need all that space?