Security Square & Woodlawn

Our Moment

For decades, the Social Security Administration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the FBI have anchored this region, making it one of the densest clusters of federal employment in Maryland. A Metro station connects Woodlawn directly to the city, while I-695 and I-70 provide seamless access for commuters and commerce. The City and State are considering investments with the Red Line transit project and already the Public Library branch at Woodlawn and Gwynn Oak Park are undergoing revitalization projects. 

At the heart of it all lies Security Square Mall—88 acres of land with the bones of a regional hub but the scars of disinvestment. The County already owns a large portion of the site, giving the government the chance to control its future and reimagine it as something far greater than the sum of empty storefronts.

For more than six years, Security Square has been the subject of studies and proposals, yet progress has stalled. Under today’s framework, a project of this scale could take nearly a decade from idea to reality. Woodlawn cannot wait that long.

Our Mission

With the right reforms and vision, Security Square can be transformed into a place where families gather, federal workers shop and live, and local entrepreneurs build careers rooted in the community.

To unlock Security Square’s potential, Baltimore County must move with urgency.

First, we must use the influence of the government to be proactive. Using the powers of a consolidated County planning department in concert with the West Baltimore Redevelopment Authority, we will create a unified opportunity zone among the various unassembled parcels already in the limbo. 

Next, we will create a small area plan that designates Security Square as a town center embedding mixed-use zoning and walkability into a transit-oriented community where everyone can live, work, play and learn.

With systemic reforms, the County can shorten timelines from years to months, attract private investment and finally deliver the long-promised transformation of Woodlawn into a thriving civic hub that ties together federal anchors, local neighborhoods and regional transit.