UMB reveals downtown Baltimore ‘Collegetown’ renderings as Regents approve West Lexington Corridor redevelopment plan
Board approval advances a multi-phase plan on West Lexington Street
The University System of Maryland Board of Regents approved a redevelopment plan on Feb. 13, 2026, clearing a major milestone for a proposed mixed-use district at the north end of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) campus. The initiative, described by UMB as a “Collegetown” concept, centers on the West Lexington Corridor along the 600 block of West Lexington Street, just west of Greene Street, between Pearl and Pine streets.
The approved concept is designed to convert several long-underutilized parcels into a denser corridor combining housing, storefront retail, and recreation and gathering spaces. Project materials released with the approval include new renderings that depict two primary residential buildings—referred to as the North Quad and South Quad—along with streetscape upgrades and public-realm improvements.
Housing, retail, and recreation are the core components
Under the plan, the district would add more than 1,300 beds of housing across two phases. Plans call for up to 25,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial retail space and the creation of indoor and outdoor recreation and community space intended to draw both campus and neighborhood use.
- Phase 1 is scheduled to begin in early 2027 and includes a 15-story North Quad tower with 356 apartments and 764 bedrooms, plus 15,800 square feet of ground-floor retail.
- Phase 2 would start about one year later and includes a South Quad building with 380 bedrooms and more than 9,000 additional square feet of retail, along with broader sidewalk and streetscape work.
- Existing UMB assets would be repurposed: Pascault Row would be renovated into multi-family/family housing, and the Pharmacy Learning Center would be renovated into a 16,500-square-foot indoor gathering and recreation space branded as the West Lexington Collective.
Financing structure and development roles
The selected private development partner is Wexford Science & Technology, working under 99-year ground leases. UMB has outlined a financing framework that includes a $263 million private investment and a $36 million university contribution. UMB’s contribution is described as coming from a mix of ground-lease proceeds, UMB Foundation support, a Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development grant, and the value of university-performed work related to renovations and outdoor recreation components. Project plans also include ongoing funding—about $300,000 per year—to support programming intended to activate the corridor.
Remaining approvals and timeline to first openings
While the regents’ action marks a key step, the project is not yet fully cleared to build. The plan is expected to require approval from the Maryland Board of Public Works and additional Baltimore City reviews. UMB’s current schedule targets the start of construction in 2027, with initial openings projected for 2029.
The corridor plan is positioned as a central element of UMB’s broader “Vibrancy Initiative,” which emphasizes placemaking, connectivity, and enhancements to the campus environment.
How the corridor connects to nearby public and university projects
The West Lexington Corridor plan is being advanced alongside other major investments at and near UMB’s northern edge. A separate $120 million, six-story School of Social Work building is under construction at West Lexington and Greene streets and is expected to open in late 2027. Plans for that building include sustainability targets such as LEED Gold with an aspiration toward LEED Platinum and a design intended to operate without on-site fossil fuels, using geothermal exchange wells and on-site solar.
In addition, the State of Maryland is preparing to move the headquarters of the Maryland Department of Health to Metro West—an approximately 1.1 million-square-foot facility one block north of the corridor—where renovation work is slated to wrap up by the end of 2026.