As an anchor institution in West Baltimore, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) prides itself on establishing meaningful ways in which to integrate with and strengthen the neighborhoods that are west of our downtown campus and home to our many community engagement initiatives.

Planned renovations to landmark properties such as Hollins Market, Poe Homes, the Lion Brothers Building and St. Peter Parochial School (housing UMB’s new Community Engagement Center) are not only bringing new life to old buildings, they’re also bringing new people, new ideas, and new services to historic problems of health, equity, and justice. Throughout the 20th century, these sites served as important community places of entrepreneurship, commerce, industry, education, worship, and family life. Today, engaged neighborhood leaders and active civic associations remember the history of West Baltimore while imagining new possibilities. They envision an awesome community of choice and work hard to realize these goals.

The neighborhoods immediately west of the UMB campus have experienced years of disfranchisement due to discriminatory public policies and private practices. Given this history of disinvestment, UMB is proud to leverage our resources to work with neighbors to renew vacant and neglected buildings. We also are proud to join our neighbors and partners in efforts to strengthen and improve the quality of life for all: residents, business owners, visitors, church members, and others.

Southwest Partnership

The Southwest Partnership is a coalition of seven neighborhood associations, community members, and anchor institutions in the Southwest Baltimore neighborhoods of Barre Circle, Franklin Square, Hollins Roundhouse, Mount Clare, Pigtown, Poppleton, and Union Square.

Founded in 2012 by a small group of concerned community leaders addressing issues of disinvestment and disfranchisement, the partnership invited local institutions to join, recognizing that these anchor institutions impacted, and were impacted by, the strength and health of the communities they were in.

Today, the Southwest Partnership has grown to include associations from each of the seven neighborhoods, community residents, and stakeholders who want to make deliberate, positive changes in the Southwest Partnership area, including UMB, the University of Maryland BioPark, the University of Maryland Medical Center, Bon Secours Baltimore Health System, the B&O Railroad Museum, and Wexford Science + Technology.

While there are very real needs in Southwest Baltimore, there also are very real assets. In an area rich in literary, industrial, and commercial history, the Southwest Partnership envisions a healthy, architecturally beautiful, diverse, cohesive community of choice built on mutual respect, diversity, and shared responsibility. Its neighborhoods are ideally situated as a location for new economy jobs such as bioresearch and innovation, a key element of the regional and city economic growth plan.

For information, please download our The Power of Place brochure. and view our Community Campus Map.