General Services Announces RFP to Lease Space for the Maryland Department of Planning Office in Baltimore City
BALTIMORE, MD – The Maryland Department of General Services (DGS) announced the department’s publication of the solicitation for the leasing of commercial office space for the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning) in Baltimore City. The request for proposals (RFP) is seeking available commercial lease space in Baltimore City.
In April 2021, Governor Larry Hogan announced a plan to positively impact the central business district, which will move the State Center campus another step forward to redevelopment. The plan intentionally seeks to absorb approximately 1 million square feet of an expanding vacancy rate in the central business district of 3 million square feet.
“General Services is committed to positively affect Baltimore’s central business district and is encouraged by the great response from the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore and other real estate stakeholders for movement of state agencies into the area,” said DGS Secretary Ellington E. Churchill, Jr. “As we move forward in the repositioning of our state buildings in Baltimore, it is my hope that this project will inspire others to participate in the revitalization and transformation of Baltimore’s central business district.”
More than 3,000 state employees who currently work in state office buildings located at the State Center and Saratoga Street campuses will relocate to more modern, efficient work spaces, allowing our workforce to have greater access to Baltimore’s amenities and businesses. The new leased office space will be influenced by DGS’ new space standards, Department of Budget and Management telework policies and will signal a new model for providing service to the citizens of Maryland.
“Planning has played an important role in revitalizing communities throughout the state,” said Planning Secretary Robert McCord. “We are excited to be a part of the efforts to revitalize the central business district in Baltimore.”
Planning was first established in 1933 as the State Planning Commission, the first state planning commission in the country. The State Planning Commission was originally tasked to coordinate public works programs of the National Planning Board and later the federal Works Progress Administration. Today, Planning provides information and services to help improve the ability of State and local governments by providing technical expertise, such as planning and urban design, computer application development, and technical studies. Planning is also the home of the Maryland State Data Center and is the state’s official liaison to the U.S. Census Bureau.
DGS is seeking approximately 15,306 net square feet of administrative office space on behalf of MDP’s 67 employees. This RFP is the fifth to be issued in accordance with Governor Hogan’s relocation initiative, and the fourth RFP to relocate employees from State Center. Additional RFPs for the Maryland Departments of Aging, Budget and Management, Information Technology and Labor are planned for release over the next upcoming months.
Planning’s RFP and all future agency office space solicitations are listed on eMaryland MarketPlace Advantage (eMMA) website.
https://emma.maryland.gov/page.aspx/en/bpm/process_manage_extranet/41944
Interested parties who wish to do business with the state and stay informed about this opportunity and other state procurements should register their organizations with eMMA.
eMMA can be accessed through:
- The General Services website @ DGS.Maryland.gov
- The Office of State Procurement website @ procurement.Maryland.gov
- eMMA.Maryland.gov
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About DGS: The Department of General Services is responsible for essential services and programs administered on behalf of the state, including procuring goods and services; designing, building, leasing, managing and maintaining facilities; leading energy conservation efforts; administering the state’s Capital Grants Program; and providing essential services such as fuel management, disposition of surplus property and records management. The Department of General Services Maryland Capitol Police maintains safety and security at state buildings.
