Welcome to our
2024 Impact Report
Last year we released Seawall’s first ever Impact Report, a culmination of many years of work to collect data and stories that show the impact the work we do has on tenants, residents, and the communities we serve. We of course kept updating those statistics, even adding a few new ones to track, but wanted to share this year’s report as more of a letter to a friend – a catalog of wins, losses, and lessons that carry us into the year ahead.
So, treat this as a beginning to end letter, if you wish. Or, we invite you to take bite-sized stories where maybe you’ll find inspiration that translates to your work and journey.
Opening The Service Center
In 2024, we opened a mixed use building in Remington that we called The Service Center. It is a new construction project rising up six stories above one of Baltimore’s busiest streets, with the mission of being one of the most civically engaged building in the city. Let’s dive in →
We deeply believe in showing up as neighbors and not guests, which is why we decided to try something new, hoping that we could help better connect new residents and the existing community. We launched the Service Works program to connect residents to local volunteer opportunities; our goal is for residents to discover and support local organizations while deepening their connection to the neighborhoods around them. And, we’re putting our money where our mouth is by making a donation to our partner nonprofits for every hour residents volunteer each month. Depending on this first go, we plan to roll the program out to all of our apartment communities.
Stay tuned to see how this new initiative goes…
The project was 75% pre-leased on the residential side – now over 95% leased – and 100% pre-leased on the office side.
The literal high point: An 80-foot-high mural on the north-facing facade by Saba Hamidi – creating an eye-catching and colorful focal point visible from more than a half mile away.
Due to construction and permitting delays, more than 40 residents had to spend a month in hotels (paid for by us) before they could move into their new apartments at The Service Center.
This is never how we want a resident’s experience living with us to begin, but it does make move-in day extra special.
Helping Small Businesses and Non-Profits Grow and Thrive
A large part of our mission is to help launch and grow powerful ideas – and there are few more powerful things in a community than a committed business owner who wants to put down roots, or a determined non-profit leader who wants to deepen their impact. This year, we were honored to help a number of important businesses and nonprofits grow in Remington.
We got to know the Doppio team when they first started vending at the Waverly Farmers’ Market, and were able to help them establish their first brick and mortar presence at R. House in 2023. In 2024, they grew into a temporary space at 2600 N Howard St., and in 2025, they moved into their permanent digs at the corner of 29th Street and Remington Ave.
An impactful nonprofit that has been in our ecosystem since 2020 (starting out in 5,000 square feet), Collegebound moved into a 14,000-square-foot new headquarters in our Service Center project.
A nonprofit that has truly grown little by little through the years in Seawall spaces, Wide Angle started out with us in 800 square feet at Miller’s Court in 2009. In 2024, they opened their new 11,000-square-foot “Studios at the Service Center” with state-of-the-art production studios, learning labs, offices, and gallery and events space.
Founded by Lindsay Street and Rebecca Madariaga, The Charmers Club opened their first brick and mortar store on the corner of Howard and 26th Streets (in the former Charmington’s space), bringing unique retail to an important commercial space in Remington.
Taking on Projects with Partner Developers
How can we participate in the capacity-building of diverse developers in Baltimore City?
Since 2020, we’ve been on a journey to explore how we can better support diverse real estate professionals in Baltimore – while also recognizing that we need to bring more diversity to the decision-making table on our own projects. It started with our Black Developer Support Initiative (BDSI), mentoring early stage Black developers to help them bring projects to life.
In the process of the BDSI journey, we decided to invite some Black developers who were further along in their real estate careers to come alongside us as partner developers. In addition to the important perspectives they each bring, we envisioned working with them on some of our largest projects to help them build capacity, equipping each of them to take on their own larger projects in the future.
So far, so good – and we’re honored to be working with some of Baltimore’s most promising real estate minds.
Partner Project – 211 W. 28th Street Multifamily Building + Park
Grassroots Momentum at the Pikesville Armory
Since 2022, we, along with Onyx Development, have been on the team with the incredible Pikesville Armory Foundation (PAF) to help bring a decades-long vision to life. This year, we achieved incredible forward progress, and are on the precipice of putting shovels in the ground on the 14-acre main phase of the redevelopment →
Locking in Key Tenants and Community Services
In a big 2024 announcement, Baltimore County announced a partnership agreement to build a state-of-the-art senior center and indoor and outdoor recreation facilities at the Armory.
Many miles we’ve traveled and still many more to go…
In 2025, we will continue to finalize phase two design plans and support PAF as they lock in funding sources and tenants. Big things ahead.
Seawall Team Breathwork and Check-Ins
What if we turned inward to be able to give more across all the work that we do?
Twice a year, we set aside time as a team to nourish our souls. Normally, this looks like a session that starts with 90 minutes of breathwork – all of us laying down in a big open room on pads and blankets, blackout eye masks on – being led through an ancient way of harnessing breath to find clarity and release.
Afterwards, we gather in a circle and reflect. Each team member has five minutes to share their thoughts on both personal and professional aspects of their lives. We talk about what the last six months have brought us, what excites us about the future, and what fears linger beneath the surface.