Baltimore Food Hub Inc

PROJECT AIMED AT CREATING JOBS AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOCUSED ON THE FOOD INDUSTRY.

THE BALTIMORE PUMPHOUSE IS A MULTI-PHASED, $27M INITIATIVE TO ESTABLISH A SMALL BUSINESS TOWN CENTER IN THE HEART OF A SEVERELY DISTRESSED COMMUNITY THAT WAS ONCE AN EPICENTER OF BUSINESS AND RETAIL. THE BALTIMORE PUMPHOUSE CONSISTS OF 4.1 ACRES AND FIVE HISTORICAL BUILDINGS (THE "PROJECT") LOCATED AT THE CORNER OF N. WOLFE AND N. GAY STREETS, IN BALTIMORE'S BROADWAY EAST COMMUNITY (THE "PROPERTY").THE PROJECT SPONSOR, AMERICAN COMMUNITIES TRUST ("ACT"), IS A NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PARTNER SPECIALIZING IN CREATING INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT BRING GROWTH AND PROSPERITY TO LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS. THE FIVE BUILDINGS THAT CONSTITUTE THE BALTIMORE PUMPHOUSE WERE BUILT 125 YEARS AGO AS THE WATER PUMPING STATION FOR EAST BALTIMORE. VACANT SINCE THE 1990'S, THE CONDITION OF THE BUILDINGS WAS SO DERELICT THAT THEY BECAME THE PERFECT FILMING LOCATION FOR THE WIRE. KEY OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT INCLUDE: ELIMINATING OF FOUR ACRES OF BLIGHT FROM A SEVERELY DISTRESSED COMMUNITY, SUPPORTING MINORITY AND LOCALLY OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES; LOCAL JOB CREATION; INCREASING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMERCE AND THE CIRCULATION OF THE DOLLAR WITHIN THE COMMUNITY; RELIEVING PRESSURE ON AND UTILIZATION OF SOCIAL SERVICES; INCREASING DIRECT ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD; AND RESTORING HISTORICAL TREASURES.PHASE 1, COMPLETED IN AUGUST 2017, FOCUSED ON ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION, SITE WORK AND REPAIRING ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE, WHILE BUILDING A NEW 8,000 SF COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION AND TEACHING KITCHENS. THE NEW CONSTRUCTION BUILDING IS NOW FULLY OPERATIONAL AND THE COMMERCIAL KITCHENS ARE 100% LEASED TO CITY SEEDS, A CATERING BUSINESS WITH A MISSION OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. PHASE 1 COSTED $7.5MM AND WAS FUNDED ENTIRELY THROUGH GRANT DOLLARS. SINCE ITS COMPLETION, MORE THAN 57 FULL TIME POSITIONS HAVE BEEN CREATED, 44 (77%) OF WHICH HAVE GONE TO LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS.PHASE 2, COMPLETED IN OCTOBER 2019, CONSISTED OF REHABILITATING THE HISTORIC STOREHOUSE (BUILDING 3). TODAY, THE ~10,000 SF STOREHOUSE IS AN OFFICE BUILDING. PHASE II WAS FINANCED USING $2.8 M FROM A COMBINATION OF GRANT DOLLARS, STATE AND FEDERAL HISTORIC TAX CREDIT EQUITY, AND NEW MARKETS TAX CREDIT SUBSIDY.PHASE 3, WITH A BUDGET OF $6MM BEGAN IN OCTOBER 2021 AND THE CORE AND SHELL WORK FOR BUILDING 5/6 WAS COMPLETED IN AUGUST 2022.