Project History

Pastor Rod Hudson is appointed as the new Senior Pastor at Ames Memorial United Methodist Church (Ames). Pastor Hudson meets Mr. Bill Adams, a retired Baltimore City employee and member of the Ames congregation, who provides Pastor Hudson with decades’ worth of ideas and research, planting the seeds of what would ultimately become the Resurrection Sandtown project. 

Ames hosts many formal and informal community meetings to learn what resources and opportunities the community feels are most needed. 

First meeting with Ames Trustees, Bishop LaTrelle Easterling and other senior leadership from the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church, Crystal Flowers (Director of Little Flowers Early Childhood & Development Center), and community and political leaders to explore whether the Resurrection Sandtown project was feasible.  

First meetings held with potential partners and foundations to further explore the feasibility of proceeding with the Resurrection Sandtown project under the auspices of the Ames Shalom Community, Inc. (Ames Shalom), the Community Development Corporation (CDC) associated with Ames.  

First Structural Analysis of the Ames Church building, which was built in the 1880s.

The architectural firm selection process begins.  After a year-long process Mr. Kevin Day, now with HGA, is selected as the Resurrection Sandtown architect. 

Many additional community meetings, plus meetings with potential project partners, government officials at all levels, and community leaders.  

First meeting with a potential funding source (Weinberg Foundation). Introduced to Mr. Dan McCarthy from the Episcopal Housing Corporation, a developer of affordable housing, who provides pro bono advice for 3 ½ years.

The Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church approves funding to acquire property from private owners and Baltimore City to expand the project’s property asset footprint. 

Ames Shalom purchases eleven lots across the street from the Ames Church building.  

Ames Shalom purchases eight additional lots from Baltimore City through the Vacants to Value program, which, when combined with the church structure and the first purchase of eleven lots, increases the Resurrection Sandtown’s property asset footprint to 25,000 sq ft. 

Ames Shalom is contacted by Northeastern Supply concerning their Sandtown properties on Pennsylvania Avenue and North Carey Street, which abut existing Resurrection Sandtown properties. Northeastern Supply offers to donate their Sandtown properties to Resurrection Sandtown, a donation of over 36,000 sq ft, more than doubling Resurrection Sandtown’s footprint.  

Ames Shalom joyfully announces the property donation. 

Ames Shalom hires Mr. Fran Anderson from Real Estate and Construction Property Management as the project’s Owner’s Representative. 

Ames Shalom hosts a Transfer-of-Property ceremony to acknowledge the generosity of the Cook Family of Northeastern Supply.  

Ames Shalom Board begins to gather additional ideas and feedback from the community to help determine the best path forward utilizing the combined 64,000 sq ft of property assets.  

Cleanup of interior and exterior of donated buildings (volunteers). 

Sign contract with HGA for a Site Feasibility Study. 

HGA delivers the Feasibility Study which delineates what the Resurrection Sandtown campus properties can become with existing zoning and provides multiple options of combinations of potential mixed-use outcomes. 

Ames Shalom and Dwyer Workforce Development announce partnership, with Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony on June 8. 

RFP for Developer Partner Released. 

Deadline to the RFP. 

Interviews with developers. 

Verbal agreements with developer partners.