Hammond at Greenmount Park
Maryland
For decades, an entire block at Greenmount and Biddle in Baltimore, MD, sat vacant — a daily reminder of Johnston Square’s disinvestment. In November 2025, neighbors, city leaders, and partners stepped onto that same ground to open The Hammond at Greenmount Park — a four‑story, all‑electric community of 109 one‑, two‑, and three‑bedroom homes for households from 30 to 80 percent of AMI, wrapped around a first‑of‑its‑kind ground‑floor branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library. Conceived within a resident‑guided, city‑approved Vision Plan, The Hammond is the first multifamily anchor in a multi‑phase effort to rebuild Johnston Square without displacing legacy residents — pairing front‑door access to literacy, technology, and civic life with high‑quality, income‑restricted housing.
Development funding was sourced from LIHTC and energy credit equity with an FHA 221(d)(4) permanent loan, Maryland DHCD funds, and contributions from Baltimore City to include allocations from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and ARPA, a PILOT agreement and a Land Disposition Agreement.
Perhaps the most distinctive feature is civic — a 9,000 square‑foot public library branch embedded within this mixed‑income apartment building. The partnership and lease structure eliminated up‑front municipal construction costs and subsidized the branch’s rent, turning a development challenge into a community benefit. This co‑location grew from a resident‑driven plan and engagement process — neighbors asked for places to learn, connect, and be seen — and the result is a building that functions as Johnston Square’s front porch, with flexible indoor spaces and a new public green framing daily life.
About The Hammond
Thoughtfully designed by Quinn Evans and built by Harkins Builders, The Hammond provides residents with community gathering spaces and free WiFi, a rooftop garden, and other amenities. Somerset Development Company, ReBUILD Metro, New Community Partners, and Habitat America helped turn a long-vacant block into a new civic anchor for Johnston Square.
The Hammond is an elevator-served community designed to be accessible, comfortable, and welcoming. Secure, controlled entrances and clearly separated residential and library access points support safety while simplifying navigation. Six apartments are reserved for adults with disabilities, with three additional homes designated for residents who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have low vision. Habitat America partners with local service providers to support referrals and accommodations.
Health and sustainability are built into every aspect of the property. An all-electric design, high-performance building envelope, efficient ventilation systems, and Indoor airPLUS measures help improve indoor air quality and resident comfort. The Hammond meets the U.S. Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home standard and NGBS Silver certification requirements, and its 150-kilowatt rooftop solar array is designed to offset a significant portion of common-area energy use. EV charging stations and bicycle storage further support environmentally conscious transportation choices.
The community was designed to support everyday wellbeing and connection. Residents have access to a fitness center, play and game rooms, private workspaces, a community room, rooftop garden space, free community WiFi, and onsite management and resident-services staff. Future phases of the neighborhood will add Greenmount Park, a multi-acre public space with fields, walking paths, and fitness amenities just steps from residents’ front doors.
Resident-services staff help connect households to resources, coordinate programs, and organize activities that promote stability, education, health, and community engagement. The ground-floor Enoch Pratt Free Library branch expands those opportunities by providing access to technology, tutoring, learning resources, and gathering space for both residents and the broader Johnston Square community.
The Hammond Is Just The Start
The Hammond at Greenmount Park is named for Regina and Keith Hammond, whose longtime leadership at Rebuild Johnston Square Neighborhood Organization helped shape the 2020 Johnston Square Vision Plan – a roadmap created with input from legacy residents calling for the transformation of vacant lots and properties into mixed-income homes, small businesses, parks, and green spaces while protecting communities from displacement. The Hammond is one completed phase of that broader effort, alongside other restored and redeveloped properties, including ReBUILD Metro’s Teachers Square homes for local educators.
Nearly 1,000 residents and civic leaders gathered on November 10, 2025, to cut the ribbon on The Hammond and the first new Pratt branch in more than fifteen years. The turnout was a celebration acknowledging the years of organization and advocacy by Johnston Square’s leaders in partnership with City and State agencies – a public endorsement of community reinvestment for the benefit of all residents.
