Opinion: Baltimore and Maryland are investing billions in transit—so why aren’t residents building wealth along the way?

By Michael Eugene Johnson

Baltimore and the state of Maryland are entering a new era of transit investment. From the long-awaited revival of the Red Line to more than $1 billion committed to modernizing the Light Rail system, and hundreds of millions more to upgrade the Metro Subway Link, the message is clear: mobility is finally being treated as essential infrastructure.

But there is a deeper question the city has yet to answer: As Baltimore invests in transit, who will own the future built around it?

Right now, the answer is becoming increasingly clear—and increasingly troubling.

Take the redevelopment of State Center, a 28-acre site strategically positioned between the State Center Metro station and the Cultural Center Light Rail stop. State leaders have embraced a transit-oriented vision for the site, promising housing, retail and economic opportunity in one of the most connected locations in the city. 

Or consider the transformation of Penn Station, already one of the region’s most important rail hubs, where plans call for up to 1 million square feet of new mixed-use development surrounding the station. 

These are not small projects. They are generational investments—publicly supported, strategically located, and designed to reshape Baltimore’s economic future.

Yet in project after project, one pattern persists: a disproportionate share of new housing being built near transit is rental.

At Greenmount Park, for example, a recently completed development delivered more than 100 units of affordable housing—entirely as rentals.

This is not an isolated case. It is the model. And it raises a fundamental concern: if the areas with the greatest public investment and the strongest long-term appreciation are dominated by rental housing, then the wealth generated in those neighborhoods will flow primarily to property owners—not the residents who live there.

Baltimore has seen this pattern before. Consider the North Avenue corridor, anchored by the Light Rail Link station at North Avenue and the nearby Penn-North Metro station—both long-standing transit hubs in predominantly Black communities. For decades, these areas have had access to transit but not the level of sustained, equitable development seen elsewhere. 

Now, as new investments begin to arrive—through transit upgrades, corridor revitalization and the anticipated Red Line—property values are likely to rise. For many longtime residents, this raises a familiar concern—whether they will share in that growth or be pushed to the margins of it. 

Without ownership, proximity to opportunity does not translate into participation in it. Home-ownership remains one of the most reliable pathways to building wealth in America. It is how families accumulate equity, pass down assets, and create financial stability across generations. Renters, by contrast, often face rising costs with no long-term return.

That is why Baltimore must move beyond simply encouraging development near transit and begin shaping what kind of development occurs there.

A clear policy is needed: any major residential project within walking distance of transit should include a meaningful percentage of ownership opportunities—whether through condos, co-ops, or structured rent-to-own models.

This is not about eliminating rental housing. Baltimore needs a mix of options. But it is about ensuring that as the city invests billions into transit infrastructure, it also creates pathways for residents to build wealth alongside that investment.

Critics will argue that condo development is riskier, that financing is more complex, and that many residents cannot afford to buy. These challenges are real—but they are solvable.

The same public sector that is investing billions into rail systems could also provide down payment assistance, offer tax incentives tied to ownership units, support community land trusts and shared equity models, and prioritize local residents for purchase opportunities.

In fact, if Baltimore can subsidize development, it can also require that development to serve broader economic goals. The stakes are too high to ignore.

The Red Line alone is expected to connect thousands of residents to jobs, education, and opportunity across the region.

Penn Station is positioned as a gateway to the Northeast Corridor.

State Center sits at the intersection of multiple transit lines.

These are not just transportation projects. They are wealth corridors in the making. And if Baltimore does not act intentionally, those corridors will function the same way they always have: delivering opportunity to some, while others are left riding past it.

The future of Baltimore should not be one where residents live near progress but never own a piece of it.

If we are investing public dollars into transit, then we must also invest in ownership. Because in a city like Baltimore, mobility without ownership is movement—but not advancement.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the AFRO.

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