A New Circular Blueprint for Baltimore
Recovering Baltimore's Inventory, Reclaiming Our History
A citywide legislative transition from toxic, wasteful demolition to local, job-creating deconstruction. The ReBUILD Act applies smart material salvage rules to municipal, institutional, commercial, and residential developments across the city.
Citywide Legislative Scope
The ReBUILD Act implements mandatory deconstruction guidelines and salvaged material usage standards across all sectors of Baltimore's physical development. Click a category card below to inspect the detailed provisions.
Municipal & Institutional
Timeline: Mandatory by 2030. Applies to all city-owned properties (offices, schools, storage) and educational institution buildings (dormitories, classrooms, libraries, hospitals).
Commercial Developers
Timeline: Mandatory by 2032. Requires commercial office spaces, retail buildings, and large-scale industrial warehouses to deconstruct older structures on-site.
Private Residential
Timeline: Mandatory by 2032. Targets all residential properties, single-family dwellings, and duplex structures built before 1970.
Municipal & Institutional Buildings
All structures owned by the City of Baltimore, local public schools, public universities, and hospitals are integrated into the first phase of mandatory deconstruction. This sets a strong standard for the municipal supply chain.
Mandate Deadline
January 1, 2030 (Phase 3 of Section Q)
Covered Structures
City offices, public schools, storage facilities, libraries, classrooms, dormitories, and local medical facilities.
Initial Salvage Requirement
20.0% minimum salvaged content in Year 1 (2032).
Permits & Exemptions
Permit costs pegged at 1/10th of traditional demolition permit costs. Exemption applications are reviewed by the City Sustainability Commission.
Deconstruction Blueprint & Milestones
Review the exact mechanisms, timelines, and circular pathways defined in the Act to understand how the citywide transition rolls out.
01. The Deconstruction Mechanism
Section B defines deconstruction as dismantling structures either on-site (in the opposite order of construction) or via panelized deconstruction (cutting sections, lifting mechanically, and transporting to sorting yards). This system maximizes the salvage of historic timbers and bricks while containing lead/asbestos particles.
02. Phased Implementation Timeline
Section Q establishes four implementation phases over 15 years to scale Baltimore's deconstruction capacity. Demolition permit fees increase progressively to finance workforce training and local reuse business grants. Click each node to see active milestones.
Phase 1: Startup & Planning
DHCD hires Deconstruction Manager; starts RFI listings for panelized storage sites.
Phase 2: Voluntary Permitting
Voluntary permits start; building-permit fees adjusted; concrete yards begin construction.
Phase 3: Public Mandates
Mandatory deconstruction begins for city-owned properties and institutional facilities.
Phase 4: Universal Glidepath
Mandate expands to all residential and commercial buildings; salvage content required.
Minimum salvage requirement for single-family structures up to 2,000 SF.
03. Salvage & Rebuild Mandates
Section P mandates that all new construction requiring a building permit utilize a minimum percentage of salvaged material content (by cost, weight, or component type). This circular policy ensures that material reclaimed from citywide deconstruction is directly reused back into new developments, culminating in a universal 30% standard in Year 15.
04. Projected Community Impact
Section O requires that all salvaged materials be separated by type and weighed to track landfill diversion. Diverting brick, timber, and aggregates away from landfills directly cuts emissions and creates new green jobs. Drag the slider to project citywide benefits.
Feasibility & Allocation Analysis
Examine the live data-driven plots outlining how salvaged material percentages scale across residential, commercial, and educational sectors over the 10-year timeline.
Residential Feasibility Plot
Visualizes the salvage standards based on single-family and multi-family structures. Smaller units follow a gradual ramp-up, while larger rowhouse blocks must meet higher starting percentages due to high brick volume.
Commercial Feasibility Plot
Shows the glidepath for commercial buildings. Large scale structures are given lower initial targets (0.5% - 2.5%) to allow the supply chains of bulk structural steel and concrete to mature.
Educational & Institutional Plot
Targets schools, libraries, dormitories, and hospitals. Ramps up early to utilize their large spatial footprints as major sinks for salvaged masonry and structural wood.
| Building Type | Yr 1 | Yr 2 | Yr 3 | Yr 4 | Yr 5 | Yr 6 | Yr 7 | Yr 8 | Yr 9 | Yr 10 |
|---|
Executive Summary Heatmap
A comprehensive matrix highlighting the timeline vs building-type feasibility. Warmer terracotta cells indicate lighter, starter thresholds, while rich leaf green cells indicate full 30% salvaged circular maturity.
Support the ReBUILD Act in City Council
Select your council representative to generate a personalized email urging them to support building deconstruction legislation.