Creating communities in Baltimore's neighborhoods for 30 years
More than 30 years ago, when SBER was founded as Struever Bros. & Eccles, Baltimore's economy and vitality was suffering. As people and industry moved to the growing suburbs, the city initiated a number of urban renewal programs, including a "Dollar House" Urban Homestead program. In the late 1970's, the Inner Harbor was redeveloped, leading the way towards a revitalized water's edge. Slowly but surely, optimism in the city's prospects began to rise.
In this atmosphere of optimism and positive transformation, SBER grew from a small construction firm to a nationally renowned real estate development and construction company. SBER now employs over 300 people, its home office located at Tide Point in the Baltimore harbor.
Over the years, the scale and scope of SBER's projects grew as well. Learning from the Enterprise Foundation's comprehensive neighborhood transformation effort in Baltimore's Sandtown Winchester area, SBER built the capacity to undertake large-scale, market-driven, mixed-use programs in targeted areas. These neighborhood transformation programs encompass a diverse mix of commercial and residential projects that create a critical mass of activity and synergy.
Neighborhoods where SBER currently has significant investments include Brewer's Hill, where the Natty Boh building will be the first project to utilize Maryland's Green Tax Credit program, the Jones Falls Valley, Harbor Point, Greater Fells Point, and now State Center.
Nothing is more important to neighborhoods than a great school. SBER has 8 active school partnerships in Baltimore neighborhoods where it works, and where it has donated over $1 million in the last 3 years for converting 3 elementary schools to preK-8, adding new science labs and libraries, replacing depressing plastic windows with new glass (letting the sun shine in!), installing HVAC for summer programs and building playgrounds.
2007 marked SBER's 7th Annual James W. Rouse Community Service Day, with contributions to Baltimore schools, parks and community programs totaling 1.1 million dollars. More than 500 volunteers, including SBER staff, local partners, sub-contractors, and volunteers, came out this fall to show their commitment to the improvement and transformation of their neighborhoods.