A sold-out crowd composed of area business leaders recently gathered at Baltimore Country Club to hear behind-the-scenes stories about the origin and development of Maple Lawn, the 605-acre mixed-use community located at the intersection of MD routes 29 and 216 in Howard County. The luncheon event, sponsored by the Greater Baltimore Economic Forum (GBEF), welcomed Michael Greenebaum, President of Greenebaum Enterprises and Edward St. John, Founder & Chairman of St. John Properties, Inc., who provided insights into the development that now features more than 1.8 million square feet of commercial office, medical office, flex/R&D, and retail space, and more than 1,300 residential units. Robert E. Latshaw, Jr., is Chairman of GBEF, and served as the event’s emcee and host.

Greenebaum explained that two train rides significantly changed the trajectory of his family and the commercial real estate landscape in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. region. “In the 1870s, my great-grandfather immigrated to the United States and was aboard a train traveling from New York City to Washington, D.C., where he had planned to start a new life,” he explained. “But he disembarked one stop early and settled in Baltimore. Many years later, my grandfather Harry Greenebaum founded Young’s Men’s Store, a chain of clothing stores.

Many years later, Greenebaum’s father, Stewart, was on a train headed from Baltimore to New York for a business meeting, while working for the family clothing store. He struck up a conversation with a fellow passenger who asked him, “What do you plan to do in the future to be successful, make money, and really be happy in your life?” When young Stewart had no specific answer, the response was quickly shot back. “Well, I will tell you then,” the stranger said. “Buy some land, as it is the best investment you can ever make.”

Stewart Greenebaum took that advice to heart and, before too long, purchased a few acres. The acreage quickly sold for a profit and the successful experience launched a real estate company.

Ed St. John recalled overhearing a conversation between his parents while in the backseat of a car when he was about 10 years of age. They were talking about selling their home in Park Heights for $6,000, after buying it for $2,000 and living in the residence for 12 years. “Excuse me,” he voiced from the backseat, “do you mean to tell me that you can actually make money on the house after living in it for so long?” When the answer came back, “yes,” he thought to himself that real estate was the business for him.

The real estate careers of Ed St. John and Stewart Greenebaum crossed paths frequently. At one point, Greenebaum bought some land with the intention to develop a flex/R&D building, but he had no experience in that particular product type. “My Dad told me to look in the yellow pages for companies that specialized in that asset class, and I found the name MIE Properties,” Greenebaum said (MIE Properties was the predecessor company to St. John Properties). With only a handshake as their word, Greenebaum Enterprises and MIE Properties partnered to develop that site together.”

In the late 1990s, Greenebaum Enterprises began assembling former farmland in Howard County with the intention of creating a “turn of the century town” that was walkable and “designed to look and feel differently” than other residential communities in the area.

Positioned in the heart of the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. corridor, the town was envisioned as a mixed-use community that would offer a range of housing, commercial office, and retail opportunities targeting businesses and residents in Annapolis, Columbia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. Now known as Maple Lawn, the community includes five neighborhoods featuring a mix of single-family homes, townhomes, and villas with approximately 9,000 residents, and is served by a retail district with a grocery store, sit-down and fast-casual restaurants, and a host of professional and consumer services.

Several years into the development process, St. John learned that Greenebaum Enterprises was considering selling the land designated for commercial office space. “I called Stewart and told him we were interested in becoming a partner in Maple Lawn to assume this role,” St. John said. “Whatever price you are asking for, we are prepared to pay.” As before, a simple handshake sealed the deal.

Fast-forward to today and the partnership has developed more than one million square feet of commercial office, medical office, and flex/R&D space at Maple Lawn. “We started by building five buildings totaling approximately 200,000 square feet, and they leased up immediately,” St. John said. “That leasing pace has remained, and we consider Maple Lawn one of the most successful developments in our portfolio.”

St. John calls Maple Lawn “a village,” as he feels it is similar to a small-town environment that would have been built in the 1800s. “Residents and employees can walk everywhere, including getting something to eat or shopping for groceries,” he said. “There really is nothing like this community in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. region, and we are extremely proud of it.”

Giving back is a significant mission for the development team, and nowhere is that more evident than in Maple Lawn’s long-standing commitment to community health and wellness. For the past 17 years, Maple Lawn has hosted the Maryland Half Marathon and 5K, a signature event that is more than just a race – it is also a powerful fundraiser and community celebration. To date, the event has helped raise more than $8 million in support of the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, providing vital resources for cancer research, patient care, and innovative treatments. The development team’s dedication to this cause reflects their broader vision of building not just homes and businesses, but stronger, more compassionate communities. To learn more about how you can participate, support, or volunteer, visit mdhalfmarathon5k.org.