Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland plans to build a new headquarters and production facility at the Edmondson Village Shopping Center in West Baltimore.
The nonprofit, currently based out of a South Haven Street facility, “has contracted to build a new 34,000-square-foot headquarters on vacant land at the rear of EVSC,” according to a news release.
The new headquarters will house administrative offices, food preparation kitchens and home-delivery operations, according to the release.
Founded in 1960, Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland provides services for seniors, disabled individuals and other vulnerable adults. In addition to food delivery, the nonprofit offers wellness and safety checks, social phone calls, crisis response, nutrition education, home repairs, grocery shopping, pet food delivery and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program screening and case management for seniors, according to the release.
“Our dedicated staff and volunteers deliver more than 1.4 million meals annually, and, as the number of older adults continues to grow, we know our future requires a larger, more modern, and environmentally conscious home for our organization,” Stephanie Archer-Smith, executive director of Meals on Wheels for Central Maryland, said in a release. “We are looking forward to working with our partners and neighbors to bring this project to fruition.”
The Edmondson Village Shopping Center — known locally as “The Village” — opened in 1947 and was sold in 2023 for $17 million to Chicago-based developer Lyneir Richardson.
“The state of Maryland, the city of Baltimore, and 200 Edmondson Village residents have invested over $10.8M in the modernization of EVSC,” Richardson said in the release. “This modernization now makes it possible for us to welcome Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland.”
Edmondson Village Shopping Center through the years | PHOTOS
The shopping center, once treasured for its distinctive Colonial Williamsburg architecture and its Christmas lights, has in recent years become known for crime and the occasional fire. In 2023, it was the site of a shooting that left 16-year-old Deanta Dorsey dead and four other teens wounded.
The city and developers hope to change that narrative.
“Opening the door to the next era of the historic Edmondson Village Shopping Center’s future was a community effort through and through,” Mayor Brandon Scott said in a news release. “We’re finally able to pursue a redevelopment that’s bringing the crucial community support services of Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland to this extraordinary neighborhood and beyond.”
Contact Dillon Mullan at dmullan@baltsun.com, 302-842-3818 or @DillonMullan on X.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to the planned Meals of Wheels facility as a distribution center.
