Community-owned Baltimore mall gets 10 new leases and may bring 100 jobs
The Edmondson Village Shopping Center in Baltimore is undergoing a revitalization after being acquired by a community-owned fund. The project has attracted new tenants and is expected to create over 100 jobs, highlighting the impact of local stakeholder investment.
Why it matters
It showcases an alternative economic model where community ownership helps combat retail disinvestment and urban decay.
A Baltimore shopping centre that once served as an important retail destination spent decades struggling with disinvestment and vacant storefronts. Today, Edmondson Village Shopping Center is undergoing a different kind of transformation, driven partly by the people who live around it. According to the Kresge Foundation, the historic centre was acquired in 2023 with 200 community investors, giving local residents a direct ownership stake in the property. Three years later, 10 new leases have been signed, bringing services including groceries, primary care, child care and food retail. A planned headquarters for Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland is also expected to bring more than 100 jobs. The changes highlight how community ownership can become part of a broader effort to revive a neighbourhood shopping centre.From retail hub to declineEdmondson Village Shopping Center opened in 1947 as one of Baltimore's early major retail destinations.
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