Maryland Department of General Services Announces the Award of the Design and Construction Consultant Contract for the New Baltimore Therapeutic Treatment Center

BALTIMORE, MD – The Maryland Department of General Services (DGS) today announced the next steps for the new Baltimore Therapeutic Treatment Center. The Maryland Board of Public Works approved the contract for the Design and Construction Consultant (DCC) to the CGL Companies (CGL).

The new treatment center is one of the Hogan administration’s largest capital projects, which is projected to be completed over a 10-year period, with an estimated cost of over $450 million. The specialized facility will provide mental health and substance use treatment services and care to nonviolent offenders upon entry into the criminal justice system. The construction of the new treatment center will provide approximately 325,000 gross square feet of detention housing for approximately 800 beds, for both males and females, of varying treatment classifications. To reduce project construction costs, DGS has creatively included the repurposing of the former Jail Industries building, approximately 145,000 gross square feet, into the complex.

“DGS is optimistic for the future of Baltimore and Maryland with this new state-of-the-art therapeutic treatment center that will dramatically improve the previous conditions of the city’s detention center,” said DGS Secretary Ellington E. Churchill, Jr. “Under Governor Hogan’s leadership, the Baltimore City Detention Center was closed, torn down, and today his leadership influences a new phase for the design and construction of an all-purpose treatment facility that will help countless individuals break the cycle of addiction.”

In July 2015, Governor Hogan announced his plans to immediately shut down the Baltimore City Detention Center, due to unsafe conditions at the antiquated facility. In August 2021, demolition of the detention center was completed. The 17-acre site, located in the 500 block of East Madison Street, will now be used for the new Baltimore Therapeutic Treatment Center. 

“We sincerely appreciate the support of DGS and the unwavering leadership of Governor Hogan in moving this critical project forward,” said Robert Green, Secretary of Maryland’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. “With each step like this, we bring a therapeutic facility with truly comprehensive treatment and services closer to reality.”

Founded in 1974, CGL Company has since grown into the largest and most comprehensive criminal justice consulting firm in the world. Assisting CGL in managing the design, construction and development of the operations of the new Baltimore Therapeutic Treatment Center are McKissack & McKissack, a national architectural, engineering, program and construction management firm and Falcon, Inc. the nation’s leading correctional behavioral health expert. The BTTC project will be managed from the Baltimore offices of CGL.

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About DGS: The Department of General Services is responsible for essential services and programs administered on behalf of the state, including procuring goods and services; designing, building, leasing, managing and maintaining facilities; leading energy conservation efforts; administering the state’s Capital Grants Program; and providing essential services such as fuel management, disposition of surplus property and records management. The Department of General Services Maryland Capitol Police maintains safety and security at state buildings.