Weapons and military training are going to be replaced by pickleball, the arts and more at Pikesville’s historic armory.
The 120-year-old armory is getting a $100 million transformation that organizers believe will be a draw for residents throughout the region.
State and local officials, including Gov. Wes Moore, gathered in the chilly, cavernous armory to mark the start of a four year renovation of the buildings and grounds on the 14-acre campus.
“This is the time that we’re going to get this right,” Moore said. “And this place and this space will help to lead its charge.”
Shelley Morhaim, the president of the Pikesville Armory Foundation, said what was once known as the “drill floor” in the main armory building will be transformed into basketball and pickleball courts.
Plans are for there to be artist studios and rehearsal rooms upstairs.
Changes are coming outside as well.
“We’re going to have soccer and lacrosse fields, some outdoor pickleball courts, a beer garden and a cafe,” Morhaim said.
There will also be walking trails, public art and a performance venue.
The first phase of construction is expected to begin in April with the renovation of the NonCommissioned Officers (NCO) Club. That’s expected to take about a year.
Organizers hope to begin the second phase of the renovation in early 2026. That will zero in on the main armory building as well as the site’s green space.
The Pikesville Armory dates to 1903 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. The deteriorating buildings on site include the armory, the NCO Club, an Officers Club, garages and old horse stables.
Morhaim said once the Officers Club is renovated, it will be used by the Baltimore County Public Schools for students who want a career in culinary arts and restaurant management.
“We hope they’re going to have a little cafe that will be open to the public from time to time,” Morhaim said.
State Senator Shelly Hettleman, who represents Pikesville, said the development of public spaces can have a fundamental impact on a community.
“It is here that our residents will come to learn about the storied history of this site, of the veterans who contributed so much to the safety and security of this nation,” Hettleman said.
“And it is here where our young people will come to compete, to learn, whether it’s on a field or in a kitchen space, they will find others who are like-minded and they will create,” Hettleman said.
Morhaim said the national guard decommissioned the armory about six years ago.
In Sept. 2017, then-Gov. Larry Hogan established the Commission on the Future of the Pikesville Armory which led to the formation of the nonprofit Pikesville Armory Foundation, which is in charge of the renovation. It has selected Seawall and Onyx development to develop the site.
In August 2023, Baltimore County announced it had acquired the armory from the state for $1. According to Erica Palmisano, the press secretary for County Executive Johnny Olszewski, that ownership has in turn been transferred to the Pikesville Armory Foundation.
So far about $15 million has been raised through government funding. Morhaim said a capital campaign will start soon to try to raise the rest of what is needed.
“We’ve started receiving donations from private philanthropy,” Morhaim said. “We hope to get more money from our government sources.”
