Baltimore Goodwill Shifts HQ to Open Adult High School
By Keith Loria September 29, 2022 1:22 pm
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Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake is moving its headquarters to a new site in Baltimore, and will open an adult high school in its current space.
The nonprofit, which provides job training, placement and other services for people who are unemployed or face other challenges to employment, has inked a 14,662-square-foot lease with landlord St. John Properties at Baltimore Gateway, a five-story, 100,000-square-foot building.
Goodwill Industries will be moving 40 employees, including its leadership team, to its new office space at 3700 Koppers Street.
Its current, 35,000-square-foot home roughly 5 miles away at 222 East Redwood Street will be transformed into The Excel Center, an adult high school, for which the nonprofit recently received funding. The tuition-free public high school, set to open in 2023, is designed for adults 21 and older, and will provide competency-based high school curriculum with embedded job training.
“We wanted an office space that was convenient and able to house our administrative staff,” Lisa Rusyniak, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries, told Commercial Observer. “We liked the central location, LEED-certified space, natural light and great building amenities.”
St. John Properties recently spent $8 million to renovate the property. Upgrades include a revamped lobby and common areas, plus the installation of a new HVAC system, energy-efficient windows and high-speed elevators.
“The footprint of the building allows our team to work on the same floor, and the strategic location off Interstates 695 and 95 provides us immediate access to our network throughout Maryland,” Rusyniak said.
With the addition of Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, Baltimore Gateway is now 95 percent occupied.
Michael Tait of St. John Properties represented the landlord in the deal, while the tenant was self-represented.
Keith Loria can be reached at Kloria@commercialobserver.com.
