Under Armour Reveals Schematics for New Port Covington Campus
Last week, Under Armour and its design team revealed schematics for the first major phase of its new global headquarters campus in Port Covington to Baltimore City Planning Department’s Urban Design & Architecture Advisory Panel (UDAAP). This phase will add a new 300,000 sq. ft. office and retail building called Team Building 2 (TMB2), a track and field facility, and new green spaces.
Under Armour’s design team for the campus includes Gensler, Nelson Byrd Waltz Landscape Architects, and Kimley-Horn.
Under Armour’s new campus replaces the shuttered Port Covington shopping center that only ever featured a Sam’s Club and Walmart. Walmart closed in 2016 and Sam’s Club closed in 2007, just five years after opening. The Sam’s Club was transformed into a 170,000 sq. ft. office building called Building 37 that opened in 2016. The former Walmart building still stands and has been used for warehouse sales and PPE manufacturing.
Under Armour’s transition from Locust Point to its new Port Covington campus will happen in three phases. The first phase is for UA LightHouse, which is currently at City Garage, to relocate to Building 37 this year. Under Armour vacated Building 37 in early-2020 so renovations could begin.
The second phase, which is also underway, is the construction of a NCAA-regulation track and field facility with a multi-sport playing field on land just east of Building 37. This facility will serve primarily as a testing ground for Under Armour’s innovation, product development, and sports marketing. The athletic facility will also be available to Under Armour team members and the greater Baltimore community through shared-use agreements and special events. It will have bleachers with a seating capacity of 1,400.
The track and field facility will have TMB2 to the north, Building 37 to the east, and bleachers on the west side. The grading will be built up in the corners of the stadium to give it the “feeling of a bowl.” This will also provide an overlook from a plaza coming out of TMB2.
The schematics show two new basketball courts overlooking the Patapsco River wharf on the east side of the property. There is an existing basketball court adjacent to the new courts and Building 37.
A path system will connect the campus to Sagamore Spirit distillery, an overlook will be constructed near the wharf, and several new plazas will be added around TMB2. The parking lots are planned mostly along the west and south sides of the track and field facility, but there will also be a small retail parking lot on the north side of the property near E. Cromwell St.
A bridge along E. Crowell St. will allow pedestrians to walk across existing bioretention plantings. Port Covington Dr., which used to run down the middle of the shopping center, has been eliminated.
TMB2 will be at the northern section of the property near E. Cromwell St. and the Port Covington development. Plans for TMB2 show an east-west oriented, five-story, approximately 80 ft. tall office building.
Attached to the building will be a two-story, 30,000 sq. ft. Under Armour Brand House retail store with a northwest orientation that aligns with the street grid of future phase of the Port Covington development, as well as a two-story, 30,000 sq. ft. fitness-oriented performance center with a southwest orientation.
Under Armour is still working with Gensler on the architecture of this building. It will reveal renderings at its next UDAAP presentation.
Under Amour said last year that it expects to have about 1,100 employees a day at its Port Covington campus. The company, which has mostly worked remote during the pandemic, will have a portion of its workforce on campus everyday, a portion entirely remote, and a portion in a hybrid model.
Future phases of the campus could include new development at the site of the former Walmart building.
Across from Under Armour’s campus on W. Peninsula Dr. is a proposed residential real estate development by 28 Walker. The project will take the place of the former Locke Insulators facility.
Under Amour says it has been in close contact with the Port Covington Development Team and 28 Walker while planning the project.
Renderings from the UDAAP presentation from Under Armour, Gensler, Nelson Byrd Waltz Landscape Architects, and Kimley-Horn
Construction photos from last month
About the Author: Kevin Lynch
Founder and Publisher of SouthBmore.com, longtime resident of South Baltimore, and a graduate of Towson University. Diehard Ravens and O's fan, father of three, amateur pizza chef, skateboarder, and "bar food" foodie. Email me at Kevin@InceptMM.com and follow me on Twitter at @SoBoKevin.
