A Historic Printing Factory Hums with Innovation

The Hoen Lithograph building is now home to the Associated Builders and Contractors (“ABC”), a national construction industry trade association apprenticeship training program that connects participants with career-track positions in the construction industry. This is the first inner-city location for ABC and anticipates up to 513 annual program participants with 50% being low-income individuals.

Morgan State University, a leading HBCU, has co-located several health, research and outreach programs within the Hoen Lithograph building. Programs such as Morgan CARES, The Center for Urban Health Equity, The Center for Urban Crime and Violence Reduction, The Institute for Urban Research, and The Center for Equitable AI and Machine Learning Systems are now working within the former printing facility to be close to the communities in which they serve. The programs provide students and communities with knowledge and tools to strengthen healthcare equity, particularly for urban and inner-city populations.

Care Access Research is the world’s leading Decentralized Research Organization (DRO) that breaks down traditional barriers in clinical research for patients, sponsors, and physicians. This location at the Hoen Lithograph Building was their first brick and mortar, Sites on Demand, in the state of Maryland. The project was selected due to its proximity of the organization’s target populations in East Baltimore, MD and co-locating with grant partners at Morgan CARES.

Originally a pre-apprenticeship program within Associated Builders and Contractors of Baltimore, Project Jumpstart’s move to the Hoen Building has enabled the organization to become an independent 501c3. Their 15-week job readiness construction-training program for Baltimore City residents helps students understand job readiness and prepare for success on the construction site with an overview and focus on entry-level electrical, plumbing, and carpentry trades. Students also receive essential safety training, construction math, financial coaching, a stipend and driver’s education.

With a focus on returning citizens, more than 75% of graduates are placed in traditional and specialty trades as well as technician jobs, with many leading to solid careers and apprenticeship opportunities in construction and adjacent industries.

Project SERVE (Service, Empowerment, Revitalization, Validation, Employment training) addresses high recidivism rates and barriers to meaningful employment among returning citizens in Baltimore City.  While still incarcerated, participants begin receiving “wrap around” services, and on the day of their release, they become full-time SERVE members.  Members spend 4-6 months in the program where they are provided with training and resources so they may obtain sustainable living-wage employment.  Project SERVE uses evidence-based practices for re-entry initiatives while participants revitalize Baltimore neighborhoods.

Outlook Enterprises a full-service production company, 2D/3D animation studio, and IP holder specializing in Kids and Pop Culture content. As the only animation studio in Baltimore, founder and former Baltimore Ravens player, Trevor Pryce and his staff of young artists have positioned Outlook Co. as a space to contribute to the city’s growing creative economy and build opportunities for artists, especially women and people of color, that might otherwise leave to pursue them in pre-existing tech/film hubs such as New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta.

Since moving into their facilitates in late 2020, OVFX has established itself as a competitive independent studio and IP holder based in the Baltimore, attracting new business from established media groups like, NETFLIX, Hulu, Nickelodeon, and Sony Pictures Animation. The first minority-owned and controlled animation company and only animation studio in a 400 mi radius, OVFX is attracting national attention and has the opportunity to build Baltimore as a hub for the animation and content creation industry.