Baltimore County will invest $9.5 million in a project to redevelop the Pikesville Armory and expand recreational opportunities at the aging military site and community hub.

The county and the Pikesville Armory Foundation envision turning the site, now a largely barren area with a crumbling club building, into a project with music venues, an artists’ studio, a senior center, walking paths and other recreational spaces.

The project’s first phase — the renovation of a clubhouse used by Recreation and Parks employees and for local community meetings — started in April. Phase one is expected to be completed by next spring, according to a news release from the county last week. The second phase is scheduled to begin in early 2026 and take about two years to finish.

Built in 1903, the facility is the state’s second-oldest armory and was originally used to accommodate the expansion of the National Guard. It has since become a social square for the Pikesville community where local residents can attend community dances, craft fairs and rifle clubs. The armory has also hosted functions for Presidents Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and for future Vice President Spiro Agnew when he was Baltimore County executive.

David Ginsburg, the executive director of the foundation, said the redevelopment is particularly important for the Pikesville community because “there’s a massive shortage of playgrounds, playing fields, specifically for soccer, lacrosse and indoor basketball.”

The project will create 30,000 square feet of play areas for pickleball, basketball and other sports, Ginsburg said.

The foundation, which has owned the armory since 2023, will largely front the cost of the project. The county will provide the $9.5 million in installments in 2026 for the outdoor recreation space. The foundation will finance another $30 million through a capital campaign, and it’s responsible for the development of the senior center.

Ginsburg declined to say how much money the foundation has raised, but said the efforts are continuing. The foundation has seen a surge in donations since the county’s latest financial commitment, he said.

“The question we got from philanthropists was ‘How do you know this is real?’ ” he said.

State and local governments deliberated the future of the property for at least seven years.

“Now this attitude has morphed into, ‘This project is definitely going to happen.’ ”

The county’s pledge marks one of outgoing County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr.’s last efforts to improve and expand recreational space in the county. The Democrat was elected last month to Congress and takes office Jan 3.

“I am thrilled to share this agreement regarding the future of the Pikesville Armory— one that can help ensure the long-term success of this storied site,” Olszewski said on X, formerly Twitter.

The announcement also memorializes a partnership between the foundation and county, which previously invested $6 million on pre-development needs, such as for architects and engineers to draw up building plans and for lawyers to sort out zoning issues. The foundation previously raised $32 million, some of which also goes to these needs.

“This is really the final step,” Ginsburg said. “Everybody knows this is really going to happen.”