1420 W Baltimore Street 

Location: Union Square Historic District, Baltimore City, Maryland

Project Vision
The 1420 W Baltimore Street project is a catalytic redevelopment initiative in the Union Square neighborhood of West Baltimore — a structurally disinvested community facing deeply entrenched environmental, social, and economic challenges. This project is led by Women’s Home Preservation, a 100% woman-owned firm with a team of global leaders. It enacts a bold, restorative development strategy that directly addresses climate justice, economic inclusion, racial equity, and the right to dignified housing.

The historic 33,000+ square foot building will be transformed into a mixed-use, affordable, and climate-resilient development guided by four strategic pillars of impact:

1. Economic Vibrancy Through Micro-Manufacturing & Neighborhood-Serving Retail

The ground floor of 1420 W Baltimore will serve as a platform for inclusive economic revitalization. In partnership with ISONAH the project will house a micro-manufacturing hub and retail marketplace designed to support textile makers, artisans, and women-owned businesses. This activation strategy serves a dual purpose:

• Creates new jobs and entrepreneurship pipelines for local residents — particularly women and young people

• Reintroduces neighborhood-serving retail amenities into a community that has long suffered from commercial disinvestment and vacancy

1420 W Baltimore St shifts the paradigm from “revitalization by displacement” to community-rooted prosperity by seeding economic vibrancy from the ground up.

2. Clean Energy Innovation & Equitable Decarbonization

With the support of the Maryland Energy Administration, 1420 W Baltimore is envisioned as a model for equitable climate innovation in the built environment. The building is being designed to meet NET ZERO with the innovative integration of Passive House + community-scale microgrid, addressing both high energy cost-burden in Maryland.

Key components:

• Passive House certification (PHIUS) ensures ultra-high efficiency, low energy burden for residents, and long-term affordability

• A planned solar-powered microgrid will provide energy resilience, emissions reduction, and cost stability — helping decarbonize a historically burdened urban corridor

In a city where Black and brown neighborhoods suffer disproportionately from environmental degradation, this project models what climate justice can look like when it is led by community, not imposed upon it.

3. Affordable Housing with Intergenerational and Place-Based Impact

The upper floors of the development will feature 30 units of high-quality affordable housing, designed to anchor families while healing the physical and social fabric of West Baltimore.

This housing is not just shelter — it is a strategy for generational transformation, driven by:

• Neighborhood Revitalization: The project eliminates long-standing vacancy and blight in a historic building, helping stabilize the surrounding area and boost community pride.

• Youth Career Development: Through our Empowering Next Generations initiative, local youth is engaged in the development process via internships, green construction training, and entrepreneurship programs. This ensures that the next generation is not just watching change — they are building it.

4. Advancing Women’s Access to Housing and Economic Stability

Women’s Home Preservation is rooted in the belief that housing is a fundamental tool of empowerment — especially for women-led families who face structural barriers to security and opportunity.

The 1420 W Baltimore project will:

• Prioritize housing opportunities for women heads of household, including single mothers, grandmothers, and caregivers

• Serve as a model for how gender equity can be embedded in community development and real estate ownership

• Build financial agency and generational wealth pathways through affordable rents and participation in the local economy

The Opportunity

This is not just a building — it’s a systems intervention. 1420 W Baltimore is a rare convergence of:

• Historic preservation and green building excellence

• Climate infrastructure and equitable access

• Community ownership and capital liberation

At a time when mission-driven capital seeks do more than “diversify portfolios,” this project offers the chance to co-create a new blueprint for neighborhood resilience, powered by those who have been historically excluded from capital, opportunity, and decision-making.