Solo Gibbs Park Beautification: Making an Impact Together

MCB’s work extends far beyond buildings and investments. When Peter Pinkard and P. David Bramble established our firm in 2007, they did so with a strong foundation of community-centric values, cultivating a culture of shared purpose that continues to drive this firm as we’ve grown to over 100 teammates today.

When it comes to hard work, nobody can deliver like the MCB team.

To celebrate this shared purpose, the MCB team gathered to volunteer for our first-ever teamwide Community Service Day at Solo Gibbs Park in the historic Sharp-Leadenhall Historic Community. The park is named for Solomon “Solo” Gibbs, a local figure who dedicated his life to organizing recreational activities for neighborhood youth. Born in 1912, Gibbs left a mark on this community until his passing in 1977, and the park honors his legacy. Solo Gibbs’s community work was rooted in Sharp-Leadenhall’s deep history of community engagement and collaboration.

Remembering Sharp-Leadenhall Historic Community’s rich legacy

Two hundred thirty years ago, Baltimore’s Sharp-Leadenhall Historic Community was the site of a significant abolitionist movement and home to a diverse, integrated community. This historic community, which included French Acadian and Haitian refugees, German and Irish immigrants, Quakers from Pennsylvania, and the largest free Black population in the United States, holds a rich and diverse history that we deeply respect and honor.

Sharp Street was a focal point of the Underground Railroad, the site of the South’s first abolition society, The Maryland Society for the Abolition of Slavery, and home to the South’s first Black school. At its peak, the community was home to as many as 27,000 free Black residents and stretched as far north as Lombard Street, as far west as Fremont Avenue, and east toward Key Highway and was known as “Freedom’s Port.” Unfortunately, over generations, the Sharp-Leadenhall community was squeezed, pushed, uprooted, and, in many ways, left behind.

The displacement of the community’s black residents began with the construction of a railroad station. Later, construction of the a highway further ripped apart the historic community. Solo Gibbs Park was founded in 1979, the same year the highway was built, opening on the site of former Sharp-Leadenhall residences torn down to make way for the  overpass.

The Park at Freedom’s Port: A new space honoring the past and inspiring a brighter future

To honor and recognize this remarkable community’s impact and legacy, we are naming the new park at Harborplace “The Park at Freedom’s Port.”

When we say that MCB is invested in our communities, we mean all communities where we have a footprint and an impact. When it comes to Baltimore, that includes the entirety of Baltimore City. Not only is this city home to MCB’s headquarters and many of our assets, but with MCB’s investment in Harborplace’s transformation, we consider the entirety of Baltimore City as our stakeholders. While Sharp-Leadenhall is not part of our assets, we are committed to serving this community and sharing and uplifting its stories along with all of the stories that have for too long gone untold — and finding new ways to recognize their historic impact, like the naming of Harborplace’s upcoming park.

Building authentic, transformative relationships and places

We were initially connected to this park through a relationship with Turell Brooks, a local community leader and youth mentor whom we met during our Harborplace Community Listening Sessions. In many ways, Turell continues to carry on Solo Gibbs’ legacy today through his tutoring, after-school programs, and other youth-centered community work.

MCB’s emphasis on relationships over transactions makes connections like these possible. Forging authentic relationships by listening and seeking ways to be of service aligns us with our purpose. Through our relationship with Turell, we learned about his love for this community and the gem of a park that needed some help to once again become a place where kids could play safely and community members could gather.

When we prioritize relationships, we gain critical insights: we listen differently, seek ways to help, and align ourselves with activities and opportunities that resonate with MCB’s core purpose.

Reflecting on this service day reminds us of our work’s more profound purpose. It’s about the people, communities, and opportunities that we create. The revitalized park is not just a physical space but a symbol of investment in the people and the potential of the Sharp-Leadenhall community.

This commitment to community, people, and neighborhoods strengthens our collective mission and fosters meaningful engagement. It also aligns with the core values that fortify our culture, boost teamwork, and elevate our overall performance. This unified approach benefits MCB by aligning our goals and fostering a deep understanding and commitment to our tenants, leading to higher job satisfaction, pride, and a stronger sense of purpose in everyday work. Thanks to our team for volunteering their time and transforming a space, underscoring the importance of revitalizing spaces and strengthening neighborhoods.