Public officials joined private developers on Friday to break ground for a new employment hub for city residents, a $44 million headquarters for the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development.
The four-story structure will be the first municipal office building to rise in Baltimore in years. It’s also the latest phase of construction to get underway at Reservoir Square, the $170 million mixed-use development that MCB Real Estate and others are constructing on eight acres along the 600, 700 and 800 blocks of West North Avenue in Reservoir Hill.
When complete in August of 2026 at 850 W. North Ave., the 63,000-square-foot building will enable the city to consolidate several MOED offices that are in different parts of the city, including Old Goucher and Mondawmin Mall.
Hanbury is the architect, and L.F. Jennings is the builder. Other phases of Reservoir Square that were already underway include 120 market-rate town houses by Ryan Homes and The Shoppes at Reservoir Square, a retail center anchored by a 12,000-square-foot branch of Streets Market.
Additional partners in Reservoir Square are Atapco Properties, MLR Partners and Blank Slate Development. Others involved in the MOED headquarters are the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development; the Maryland Economic Development Corporation; the P3 Foundation, a national non-profit, and the Neighborhood Impact Investment Fund.
‘Meaningful employment’
MOED provides job placement, training programs and support services to residents from around the city. Its mission is “to promote economic justice in Baltimore City by connecting individuals with meaningful employment opportunities and businesses with the city’s brightest talent.”
In 2024, MOED offered YouthWorks summer jobs to more than 10,000 young people who were connected to more than 750 employers. Between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024, it placed more than 3,000 city residents in jobs. MOED also supports businesses with recruitment services, strategic advisement and business grants. In fiscal year 2024, it assisted more than 1,000 businesses.
Under the financing structure created to fund the project, MOED will be a tenant of the Reservoir Square building at first and the city will take ownership once the construction bonds are paid off. MOED’s current offices will either be repurposed by other city agencies or declared surplus and marketed by the city’s Real Estate office.
Connection to opportunity
During the groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, speakers said the new MOED headquarters will include a modern American Job Center, featuring advanced career skills-building classrooms, collaborative workspaces and upgraded technology learning labs. They noted that this consolidated One-Stop Career Center will centralize various programs and services that are currently in different locations, and that its North Avenue location will make it accessible to MOED clients by bus, light rail and subway lines.
“The new MOED at Reservoir Square is much more than just a building; it represents a profound commitment to the very community it serves,” said MCB Real Estate co-founder and Managing Partner P. David Bramble. “Much like the broader vision we have for Reservoir Square, this center is uniquely positioned to unlock immense potential right here in the neighborhood. As someone incredibly proud to call this area home, seeing this direct investment and the opportunities it creates for its residents is truly gratifying.”
Reservoir Square and the MOED project are “a powerful testament to what is possible when committed partners come together with a shared vision,” Bramble said. “This project brings long-overdue investment to a truly deserving community. And though these deals are complex, when you have the right partners, determination and vision, even the toughest projects can rise. It is our hope that this project inspires other organizations, public and private alike, to come together and make a difference.”
“The groundbreaking of our new American Job Center marks a major milestone in our mission to connect Baltimoreans with opportunity,” said MacKenzie Garvin, MOED’s Director. “This state-of-the-art, transit-accessible facility will serve as a centralized hub for workforce innovation, employer engagement, and community collaboration. By unifying our core programs in one modern space, we’re enhancing access, streamlining services, and equipping residents to build sustainable careers. This historic investment reflects the power of strategic partnership and underscores our long-term commitment to advancing economic justice across Baltimore.”
‘Magical spot’
Jason Perkins-Cohen, Deputy Secretary of Maryland’s Department of Labor, predicted that the MOED headquarters will be a place many people will remember.
“I know this site probably looks like other construction sites, and I don’t think it is,” he said. “This is a site where magic is going to really happen to people. Thousands of young people will get their first job right here, right on this spot. The first job of their whole career. Every year it’s going to happen right here and that’s magic. Employers from our whole region will come here and find their future work force right here. That will drive their business forward. That will make our economy grow. It’s going to happen on this site. It looks like lots of other sites, but it won’t be like lots of other sites…That’s a magical spot.”
While some people may diminish the value of public service these days, “this site recognizes the value of public service” to make jobseekers’ and employers’ dreams come true, he added.
“So many people are going to get to come here and have that first job experience,” said City Comptroller Bill Henry. “As we all know, at the end of the day, having a job makes everything else possible. That’s why it is so important that we do this.”
Replacing ‘Murder Mall’
Mayor Brandon Scott couldn’t attend the event due to a schedule conflict but provided a statement about the Reservoir Square development, which is replacing a former subsidized housing project that many once called “Murder Mall” because it was so crime-ridden.
“This is an investment that will change lives and help to change the footprint and legacy of this neighborhood,” the mayor said in his statement. “We’re talking about a place once called ‘Murder Mall,’ that will soon be home to a state-of-the-art employment hub, where Baltimoreans can get connected to good jobs. My administration is committed, not only to making these resources available, but making them accessible, including by creating spaces like this one in neighborhoods where they can have the greatest impact.”
Efficient and beauty-free. Resevoir Hill deserves better.