Preston Gardens Restoration

The Downtown Partnership of Baltimore (DPOB) and the City of Baltimore Department of Transportation sought to rehabilitate Preston Gardens, a century-old public space, into a usable and inviting recreational area.

JMT developed construction documents for improvements to restore and rehabilitate the park while also creating additional park space on Saint Paul Place, making a green space for the surrounding businesses and residents. Some of the key features of this urban park are a 700-foot-long, historic retaining wall that grade-separates Saint Paul Place from the park below; wide, majestic staircases with fountains and balustrades; ADA-compliant ramps; and a plaza space.

JMT staff provided services including:

Grant application for federal funding

Architectural design

Landscape architectural design

Civil engineering design

Structural engineering for retaining wall and staircase repairs

Ornamental pedestrian-level lighting

Spill prevention, control, and countermeasures plans

Electrical engineering

Historic restoration design

NEPA environmental documentation

Topographic surveys

Underground utility locating and mapping

This new pedestrian space allows for multiple activities and functions to be hosted at the park and includes trees lining the street, curbside bio-retention facilities, benches, electrical service for events, and new paver treatments.

This project is an excellent example of work completed within a culturally-significant landscape, including an assessment and history of the landscape, and the creation of new, usable space that works in coordination with its historic elements.