Baltimore Ravens Pledge $500K For Owings Mills Playground

OWINGS MILLS, MD — A new playground is coming to Northwest Regional Park in Owings Mills, thanks in part to the Baltimore Ravens.

The new playground will be situated on 0.8 acre south of the turf fields near the Lyons Mill Road entrance to the Northwest Regional Park.

A timed 40-yard dash, rubberized surface that is wheelchair-accessible and other features for children of all ages will be incorporated into the design.

The $850,000 playground project was added to the Baltimore County FY 2021 budget, the county told the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, which coordinates Program Open Space, in a letter dated Sept. 25, 2020.

The Ravens pledged $500,000 toward what officials called a "destination playground," and Baltimore County is dedicating $350,000. The Ravens' donation exceeds the 50 percent match required for Program Open Space projects.

"I am incredibly grateful to the Ravens organization for their generosity in supporting this project and the children of Baltimore County," County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. said in a statement Friday. "This new playground will provide our children with a state-of-the-art play space."

Northwest Regional Park is 0.6 mile from 1 Winning Drive, where the Ravens train in the Under Armour Performance Center.

The Ravens have partnered with the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks in the past, such as contributing $800,000 to the synthetic turf field at Towson High School in 2015 and holding a training clinic at Meadowood Regional Park in Lutherville-Timonium in 2017.

"We believe in creating safe environments for children that not only provide fun experiences, but also keep them active," Ravens President Dick Cass said in a statement.

"The Baltimore Ravens have been a generous partner and have once again shown their commitment to make Baltimore County a great place to live,” House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, who represents Baltimore County, said in a statement.

Baltimore County has contracted with PlayPower Inc., which is based in North Carolina, to build the playground, according to a statement from the county.

The County Council must approve of the county's acceptance of the donation. Contingent on the approval, construction is expected to begin in the summer and be finished by the end of 2021.

“I am really excited about the playground partnership with the Ravens. This destination playground will provide years of entertainment, fun, and physical fitness to scores of children,” County Council Chair Julian Jones said in a statement. "This is just another example of why our Ravens are champions on and off the field."