Restoring the baseball field where young Babe Ruth smashed his first towering home runs is the centerpiece of a plan by Saint Agnes Hospital in Baltimore to transform a former school site that adjoins its health care complex.
The hospital's plans include two housing developments on parcels that other agencies would build and manage. They would be next to the old ball field, which is to be restored through a partnership that includes Cal Ripken Jr., a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and a former infielder for the Baltimore Orioles.
Saint Agnes bought the 32-acre property in 2012 from the Archdiocese of Baltimore. It is across the street from the hospital and once was the site of St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, where Ruth lived from 1902 to 1914, when he first signed with the major leagues. It later was the site of a boys' preparatory high school that closed in 2010 and had its baseball field on the site where Ruth played.
The former prep school, Cardinal Gibbons School, provides the inspiration for the project name — Gibbons Commons. Its former school building, which was built after the original St. Mary's was destroyed by fire in 1919, is to be renovated into 70 housing units.
Bonnie Phipps, president and chief executive of the hospital and of its parent, St. Agnes HealthCare, said the objective for Gibbons Commons is to "create an innovative plan consistent with the needs of southwest Baltimore, ensuring the health and spirit of our community continues to grow."
William Greskovich, vice president of operations and capital projects at Saint Agnes Hospital, said the hospital's goal is to guide development of the vacant site, both for the hospital and the surrounding community. He said restoring the baseball field fits that effort because it preserves a valuable place in sports history and makes it available again for the area's aspiring young athletes.
Greskovich said Saint Agnes is in talks with Catholic Charities of Baltimore and Bon Secours Baltimore Health System to develop the two housing properties, one tentatively for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren and the other for moderate-income households.
"We're not trying to get into the housing business," Greskovich said. "Our goal is to sustain the property and build on our vision for preserving the community."
Referring to the ware-houses and freight terminals to the east, he said, "We'd rather that the land not become a truck depot." The Baltimore City Council approved rezoning for Gibbons Commons in September.
All told, he said, the hospital, archdiocese and Catholic Charities cover about 120 adjoining acres. Next to the hospital is Catholic Charities' Jenkins Senior Living Community, which includes nursing care, assisted living and independent living for about 400 residents, and adult day care. A parochial grade school and a girls' preparatory high school are just to the south.
Intergenerational families
William J. McCarthy, executive director of Catholic Charities of Baltimore, said the agency plans to renovate the former high school into 68 apartments for low-income grandparents who have custody of their grandchildren. McCarthy said Catholic Charities also will provide the families with after-school programs and social services. Construction is estimated at $15.5 million, and the programs will have an annual budget of about $1 million, he said.
McCarthy said the goal is to begin construction by 2014 and open the following year.
"This project will allow us to begin to address the needs of the thousands of inter-generational families in the Baltimore area who live in poverty, and we are grateful to our partners at Saint Agnes Hospital for this unique opportunity," McCarthy said.
He said about 3,300 intergenerational families live within the zip code that includes Saint Agnes Hospital.
Bon Secours takes the pitch
Greskovich said plans call for the construction of 80 units of housing for people of moderate incomes. George Kleb, executive director of housing and community development for Bon Secours Baltimore Health System, said his agency is in early discussions with Saint Agnes, a member of St. Louis-based Ascension Health, and is "excited about a potential collaboration" on Gibbons Commons.
Bon Secours already has developed 648 units of housing at seven locations in west Baltimore.
Team players
The Saint Agnes Foundation has helped the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation raise nearly all of the $1.5 million to rebuild the baseball fields with dugouts, lights and grandstands. Cal Ripken Jr. named the foundation after his late father, who was a player, scout and manager in the Orioles organization for 36 years. The foundation has built or renovated 14 baseball fields for youth across the country, with plans for 20 more.
Cal Ripken Jr., one of the best known figures in baseball, played for the Orioles for 21 years before retiring in 2001. Ruth signed with the Orioles while he still was a student at old St. Mary's, then moved to the Boston Red Sox and, in 1919, joined the New York Yankees, where he led the team to four world championships. He also led fund-raising drives to build a new school for St. Mary's after the original burned.
Greskovich said the plan to renovate the field includes putting home plate as close as possible to where it was when Ruth played there. The former high school diamond, which remains, is laid out differently than the old one. Greskovich said engineers are working with photographs and other documents to restore the old layout.
Carrie Lebow, vice president of resource development for the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, said construction is about one year away. Lebow said the field is intended primarily for middle-school age youths through Baltimore recreation leagues and other youth sports organizations.
"Our mission is to work to help at-risk youth and underserved communities, and we use sports to connect," she said. "This is a wonderful opportunity to be a part of something good for the community around Saint Agnes."