Astor Court Apartments

For many years, The Abell Foundation has supported educational reform, introduced new curriculum and enrichment programs, encouraged alternative teacher certification, and emphasized the importance of teacher and principal recruitment in efforts to improve the quality of education for Baltimore City public school students. One of the most important determinants of increased student achievement is the quality of classroom teachers. Teachers new to the system often report being overwhelmed with the demands of their new jobs and lacking support for professional development. With modest beginning salaries, new teachers also have limited options in the housing market. Since the retention rate for new teachers is low, there is a continual need to hire a large number of new teachers each year. The challenge for the Baltimore City Public School System is to attract the best, brightest and most capable teachers into the schools. The Abell Foundation conceived of constructing apartments for teachers as a way to encourage new teachers to consider Baltimore over other cities and equally, as a retention tool to help support new teachers in their first years of teaching.

The Astor Court Apartment building sat vacant for nearly ten years at a highly visible intersection in South Charles Village. Eventually the building was foreclosed upon and delinquent taxes and water bills accumulated. The Foundation agreed to be a sponsor in the redevelopment of the building if the upper floors could be converted to apartments for incoming teachers to the Baltimore City public schools. The building interior was redesigned to provide 36 spacious and comfortable one- and two-bedroom apartments at reasonable rents to new teachers and to build out four first-floor commercial spaces.

The project financing involved multiple partners including M&T Bank, Fannie Mae, the Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development, the Baltimore City Healthy Start Program, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, the Maryland Historical Trust, Mercantile Bank, Community Capital of Maryland, and St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. As an historic renovation, the project qualified for local, state and federal historic tax credits. The Abell Foundation provided loans and guarantees to complete the $6 million project financing.

The building’s central location within the City and its proximity to the Johns Hopkins University and other colleges offer convenient access for school commutes and completion of teacher training and certification requirements. Completed in 2005, demand was brisk and the apartments fully rented. The first floor commercial space is leased to a combination of national chains and local tenants, including the neighborhood district office for safety and sanitation. By converting the vacant building to a productive, tax-paying use with a standard-setting renovation, the project offers high quality housing to new teachers, removes an eyesore from the neighborhood and adds new vitality into the Old Goucher College historic district. The Daily Record awarded the project an Innovator of the Year award in 2005.