Under Armour’s old Tide Point headquarters loses its buyer

Tide Point was once a Procter & Gamble soap factory. Then, it was Under Armour’s home. The Locust Point waterfront property’s third act — once envisioned as a mixed-use development — is now undetermined.

Under Armour reached a tentative agreement in summer 2025 to sell the land to Baltimore developer Mark Sapperstein of 28 Walker Development. But that deal never formally closed.

Sapperstein confirmed Wednesday that he is no longer under contract to purchase it, meaning the sportswear brand is still in possession of the land. Its future is unclear. Sapperstein also recently said he plans to buy a large swath of land at Baltimore Peninsula, near Under Armour’s new headquarters.

Under Armour spokesperson Matt Dornic declined to comment.

The property’s buildings, named after cleaning products like Dawn and Joy, had been a Procter & Gamble plant for the bulk of the 20th century. The property served as Under Armour’s headquarters for two decades, until 2024, when the company relocated to a new office at Baltimore Peninsula.

Sapperstein plans to continue developing one piece of the former Under Armour headquarters that he purchased last year: the Cheer Building.

He initially pegged it for rowhomes, then planned to sell it to Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. But that deal fell through. It will, once again, be slated for 122 rowhomes and a parklet, said Zac Blanchard, the City Council member representing the area.

Blanchard said he hopes any future development at Tide Point incorporates senior housing.

“It’s really gorgeous,” he said. “There’s a reason Under Armour chose that as their headquarters.”

Aside from an architecture firm’s office and a steady stream of commuters awaiting the water taxi, the 12 acres of land on the northern side of Locust Point now sit empty. Domino Foods’ refinery and a bulk liquid storage facility flank the parcel. A sweet, burnt smell — the dregs of a recent molasses tank overflow — lingered on Thursday.

Helen Chiamulera is among area residents who commute via the water taxi, and she often walks her dog in Tide Point.

“It would be nice to do something with it,” she said of the area.

Townhome development at the Cheer Building came up at a planning commission hearing Thursday because the project will require some amendments to restrictions on the land.

Representatives from Domino raised concerns about the proximity of the proposed homes to its refinery, which sits across Key Highway. The company said it had been in contact with 28 Walker about soundproofing windows, facing balconies away from the refinery and ensuring that potential homebuyers are fully aware they’ll be living next to a factory.

“It would be hard to miss,” said Jon Laria, chair of the planning commission.

Three residents spoke against the proposed townhome development, citing concerns about crime, traffic and their views of the waterfront being blocked. One spoke in favor.

The Locust Point Civic Association submitted a letter of support for the project, and the planning commission recommended that City Council approve changes to the land use restrictions.

“I had numerous conversations with the community association, listening to all of their concerns, month after month,” Sapperstein told the commission. “We have all these meetings. We try to come to a consensus. And it’s never fully baked.”

Some people won’t ever want change, he said, but he committed to integrating the proposed townhome community into the Locust Point neighborhood.