Our Enhanced Services programs are making major improvements to the parks and public spaces in the SBGP District.
We have made a major commitment to parks and public spaces. And we have set a high goal: to have the best parks in Baltimore because our neighborhoods deserve them.
To improve quality of life in our communities, we provide Enhanced Services – capital, maintenance, and programming investments in parks and public spaces – above and beyond baseline City services. Our Enhanced Services are making our neighborhoods noticeably more livable by addressing many of the specific outcomes called for in our Strategic Plan, such as:
- filling our parks and public spaces with lively activities, events, athletics, and other programming.
- cleaning and maintaining our parks, main streets and waterways so that they are safe, attractive, and inviting.
- championing the creation and improvement of new and existing parks, recreational facilities, and trails.
- using high-quality public amenities to attract or anchor new neighborhood investments.
- stitching our communities together through safer and more attractive connections.
Read about some of our recent Enhanced Services below.
Waste Management Services
Community stakeholders comprised of residents, elected officials, and Baltimore City agencies have identified improving neighborhood cleanliness as a key priority. SBGP collaborates with Baltimore City’s Department of Recreation and Parks and the Department of Public Works to provide enhanced waste management services that meet a high standard of cleanliness in public spaces and to ensure the schedules of services complement one another. The service area comprises multiple neighborhoods and parks, covering approximately 3 square miles and includes weekly corridor and park clean-ups, trash can emptying, monthly street sweeping, and as-needed and emergency clean-ups.
Carroll Park Recreation Center Renovation
Located on the northeast corner of Carroll Park in the neighborhood of Pigtown, Carroll Park Recreation Center dates back to the 1970s and is approximately 7,500 square feet. The building has been shuttered for more than a decade. The project will include a full renovation of the building’s interior and updating the façade and is expected to be completed in 2024. The first of many updates planned for Carroll Park over the next few years, the goal of this project is to adopt a “campus model” where the modest-sized structure will be well-used for 21st-century recreational programming while taking advantage of the surrounding assets.
South Baltimore Gateway Youth Sports Network
We believe that all kids should have access to high quality, organized activities! SBGP is partnering with
local organizations and Baltimore City’s Recreation and Parks to offer even more programming and improved facilities in South Baltimore..
Are you a current Youth Sports Partner looking for Safety Plan Guidance?
Find the Guidance here.
4th of July on the Middle Branch Waterfront
Since 2018 we have partnered with the Youth Resiliency Institute on the Cherry Hill Arts & Music Festival and 4th of July on the Middle Branch Waterfront celebration, a free, family-friendly event featuring music, art and fireworks. This annual event brings the neighborhoods of South Baltimore together to celebrate the history, art and culture of Cherry Hill and the Middle Branch.
Learn more
BGE Field at Reedbird Park
In November 2021, the BGE Field presented by Kelly Benefits, was completed in Reedbird Park. This $3 million, 83,000 square foot turf field is the first completed part of the Middle Branch Fitness and Wellness Center’s sport complex. This project was completed in partnership with the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation and the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks.
Main Street Partnerships
Because not all public spaces are parks, we’ve made a commitment to the two Main Streets in our District- Pigtown and Federal Hill. We are making major investments to make sure our Main Streets are safe, attractive, and inviting places.
Gwynns Falls Trash Wheel
A key goal in the South Baltimore Gateway Master Plan is making the Middle Branch waters clean and free of trash. To help meet that goal we partnered with Waterfront Partnership to bring “Gwynnda the Good Wheel of the West” to collect trash at the mouth of the Gwynns Falls, significantly reducing the trash that will make it to the shores of the neighborhoods surrounding the Middle Branch.
Learn more
Repairs and Improvements
We are spending more than a million dollars a year to create the best parks in Baltimore. This means making repairs to public assets like the fishing dock in Middle Branch Park, providing increased lawn mowing services in Federal Hill Park, and building a KABOOM playground in Westport.
Questions about our Enhanced Services? Reach out to our Enhanced Services Director, Liz Cornish, at lcornish@sbgpartnership.org.