22 Light Street combines historic preservation with new uses that serve the evolving needs of downtown Baltimore. Originally constructed in 1905 as a fire-resistant warehouse following the Great Baltimore Fire, 22 Light Street has served Baltimore in many forms, from an industrial warehouse to a neighborhood cafeteria and later office space. Its latest transformation called for a complete adaptive reuse to restore the building’s purpose as a community-serving asset.

Southway took the historic structure back to its shell and led a full interior retrofit, preserving its historic character while introducing modern systems, finishes, and infrastructure. Working within a tightly constrained urban site required careful coordination of construction logistics and sequencing. The redevelopment created 40 affordable housing units above activated ground-floor retail and commercial space, bringing new residential and commercial activity to the building.