A grandmother pushing her grandson in a stroller stopped on the sidewalk Tuesday, peering across the street at a group of people seated under a white tent.
“Excuse me,” she asked. “What’s going on?”
In front of her, state and city officials, housing developers and community partners sat facing a podium, where a set of shovels stood beside a fresh mound of dirt.
Moments later, a group of politicians and developers posed with the shovels for the ceremonial groundbreaking — symbolizing the first new homeownership development in Broadway East in decades.
The long-anticipated project will bring 54 new townhomes to the historically underinvested East Baltimore neighborhood. The three-level homes will feature modern architecture with partial brick façades, at least three bedrooms and a one-car garage.
Eleven of the homes will be reserved for buyers earning up to 80% of the area median income.
The project is being developed by Eager Park Partners, a joint venture between two local, minority-owned enterprises:
– Charm City Buyers, a husband-and-wife real estate investment team
– Mayson-Dixon Companies, led by CEO Jason Williams
Together, they represent 100% minority business ownership on the development.
Homebuilding giant D.R. Horton, the largest residential builder in the U.S., has been contracted to build the homes.
The company has faced scrutiny nationwide for construction issues ranging from leaky roofs and poor insulation to faulty windows and subpar materials.
Cheryl Washington, CEO of East Baltimore Development Inc. (EBDI) —-the group that led the developer selection process—-acknowledged those concerns but said oversight will be rigorous.
“With most large companies, you’re always going to have some type of quality issue,” Washington said. “But I do believe that D.R. Horton is on it in terms of addressing those issues, and I know the development team is going to stay on top of them to make sure the homes we build here in Eager Park are perfect for the residents who move in.”
Joanie McCann, division vice president of operations at D.R. Horton said the company takes customer complaints seriously and offers a two-year warranty to new homeowners.
The project was awarded through a competitive RFP process managed by EBDI and includes support from the city of Baltimore, the state of Maryland, Johns Hopkins and other local partners.
Funding includes support from the state’s Emerging Developer Loan Program, which backs projects led by newer housing development teams to access financial and technical resources
Maryland Secretary of Housing Jake Day underscored the stakes and momentum behind the project.
“Baltimore, we got $1.65 million — 1.65 million reasons — why we want to see this project succeed,” Day said. “Fifty-four families, living right here — spending their weekends here, their dollars here. And the city is going to continue to rise on that.”
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026 and is expected to take 18 to 24 months to complete.
