Education. Research. Organizing.
The South Baltimore Environmental Justice Center will serve as a community hub for housing and environmental justice education, research, and organizing in South Baltimore.
We envision a space where citizen science takes place, where community organizations gather, and where residents turn for support and resources to challenge the environmental burdens we face.
The EJ Center will be located at 1601 Locust Street, on the corner of Pennington Ave. and Locust St. in Curtis Bay, in a building that has long been vacant. Construction began in spring 2025.
Collaboratively Designed, Sustainably Built.
Our collaborative design process focused on sustainable, innovative, low-tech, and affordable solutions. Our goal is to create building that is healthy for its occupants and for the community — and that can serve as an example of a new way to build in South Baltimore. We hired Carri Beer (commONEcology) and Michael Hindle (Passive to Positive) to guide us through this process. Additional design partners who supported our preliminary planning include the Community of Curtis Bay Association and the Neighborhood Design Center.
Our priorities for the building design include:
- Using salvaged, locally-produced, and non-toxic materials
- High energy efficiency with net zero potential
- Utilizing natural light
- Incorporating color and texture to reflect the spirit of our South Baltimore community
- Generating and storing solar power
The interior designs include large open spaces for community events and co-working, private office spaces for SBCLT staff and budding local businesses, and a short-term housing rental unit for future SBCLT homeowners.
Project Progress
As of January 2026, we are in phase 2 of the project.
The building is made up of multiple structures that were previously combined, and it will require completely new framing to make sure it is stable and safe.
Phase 1
- Repoint brick around windows and door openings
- Remove all material over exterior brick
- Create temporary roof patch
- Install new gutter draining system
- Community mural design project to cultivate stewardship
Phase 2
- Full interior demolition
- Install new roof
- Install new framing, joists, windows, doors
- Rework sidewalk & building entries for safety & accessibility
- Construct new entryway enclosure
Phase 3
- Install dry wall and finishes
- Outfit the interiors, including appliances and furnishings for offices & short-term housing
- Finishing touches
- Prepare for move-in!
Community Investment
The estimated cost for the full rehabilitation is at least $1.2 Million, which we hope to raise through capital grants and private donations. We are grateful to the following partners who have made our progress on the EJ Center possible:
Mural Arts funded our exterior wall repairs and our community mural project.
We know that public art is central to place-making and cultivating a spirit of community stewardship. That’s why we are so grateful that Mural Arts enabled us to host a paid 10-week summer mural training program for local high school students to learn about community engagement, collaborative design, and mural creation alongside the creative vision and leadership of artist kolpeace
Our friends at Community of Curtis Bay Association (CCBA) have championed this project from the beginning. We are honored that CCBA selected the EJ Center as the beneficiary of funds received through the Maryland Department of the Environment’s supplemental plan.
In summer 2025, attendees of the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association from congregations and communities around the world raised $43,435.46 to fund our EJ Center.
Our phase 2 construction is made possible through a generous Thriving Communities grant from the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative.
Help us bring the EJ Center to life
Donate today to support housing & environmental justice research, action, organizing, and education in South Baltimore, by South Baltimore, for South Baltimore.
