The Johnston Square Library Brings Resources and Affordable Housing to East Baltimore

Baltimore’s Johnston Square neighborhood is now home to The Hammond at Greenmount Park. This mixed-use development features 109 workforce housing units and a branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, operating as the new Johnston Square branch.

Built on a city block previously occupied by vacant lots, the project marks the first phase of a broader neighborhood revitalization effort. This initiative also includes the development of the new Greenmount Park, located directly adjacent to the library. 

The homes are available to families and individuals making between 30 and 80 percent of the Area Median Income in Baltimore. Twelve formerly houseless families now reside in The Hammond and receive permanent support.

Along with free wifi for all residents, the property offers a long list of features. According to the Somerset Development Company, the building “features a large community meeting and function space, fitness center, laundry rooms, package delivery facilities, electronic message boards in the lobby, playrooms, business center, dog wash, bicycle storage and parking, full-time on-site property management and resident services staffing, surface parking with four electric vehicle charging stations, a rooftop event space, rooftop gardening and more.” The library and shared community spaces are located on the ground floor, opening directly onto a new public park on Biddle Street.

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Representing a $55 million investment for the community, the project was financed through a mix of public and private resources. A combination of loans, donations, and tax equity credits made the development possible.

Libraries serve as community anchors, providing stable, trusted, and accessible spaces that support education, civic engagement, social connection, and community well-being. They are places where young children can begin building their reading skills, while teens can find help with homework or connect with peers.

Adult programs allow patrons to bond over shared interests, such as reading genres, crafts, or interesting guest speakers. Intentionally integrated into a broader vision for the neighborhood, the library at The Hammond fills a critical gap—before its construction, this part of Baltimore had no library.

This new 9,000-square-foot branch is the latest addition to the Enoch Pratt Free Library system, joining twenty-one other branches. The system is named for philanthropist Enoch Pratt (1808–96), who originally gifted the community a central library, four additional branches, and a $1 million endowment.

Libraries like Johnston Square can support residents who share their space in a number of ways. By being situated so close to residential spaces, the library system brings its services to the very doorstep of its neighbors.

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Residents don’t need to travel far to take advantage of educational programs, information resources, technology, and children’s programming. Additionally, the library provides public spaces and meeting rooms that residents can reserve at no cost for personal or community use. The Johnston Square branch takes this accessibility a step further. Because it uniquely shares the same building with apartment units, the commute for these patrons is virtually nonexistent.

Other libraries have designed projects similar to The Hammond at Greenmount Park. The Boston Public Library is working to renovate several aging library buildings and pair these upgrades with new, multistory affordable housing developments. Made possible through a collaboration between the library, the city’s housing department, and nonprofit developers, these new homes will share the same footprint as the library.

Meanwhile, the Spokane Public Library has joined forces with Thrive International ,  an organization that provides transitional housing to immigrants and refugees. Thrive’s affordable housing units follow a mixed-income model, meaning half of the forty-five to fifty-five units will be available to refugees, while the other half will be open to the general population.

Historically, affordable housing has often been concentrated in lower-income neighborhoods, which can reinforce patterns of economic and racial segregation. Contemporary affordable housing policies break these patterns by distributing units across a wider range of neighborhoods with diverse socioeconomic demographics.

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Libraries are natural partners in this shift. They can help desegregate communities by creating opportunities for people from different racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, age, and cultural backgrounds to interact in meaningful ways.

The Hammond at Greenmount Park demonstrates how libraries can be integrated into broader community development efforts that address housing, education, and social connection simultaneously. Serving as the heart of this mixed-income residential development, the project joins the Boston and Spokane public libraries in offering adaptable models for other municipalities to draw inspiration from.

Each of these initiatives reflects the specific needs of its residents, proving that libraries possess the potential to address larger social issues and strengthen neighborhoods facing socioeconomic hardships.

This development was made possible by the Somerset Development Company, ReBUILD Metro, and the Rebuild Johnston Square Neighborhood Organization. The building is now open for leasing, and the Johnston Square branch officially opened its doors on November 10, 2025.