Comcast’s Baltimore office is ditching the suburbs and moving to McHenry Row

Comcast is relocating employees from a regional corporate office in White Marsh to McHenry Row in Locust Point, developer Mark Sapperstein of 28 Walker confirmed.
With the move, 140 workers will move into more than 28,000 square feet at the Banner building, a former Phillips Seafood headquarters located along Fort Avenue. The office is expected to be open at the beginning of next year.
A Comcast spokeswoman said the company will maintain offices in the County. Nevertheless, the move is the latest sign of a company moving from a suburban office park to an urban location. Sapperstein cited McHenry Row’s mix of restaurants and amenities for employees as well as easy access to I-95 as reasons companies want to be there. The development also has residential apartments.
“A reoccurring theme in corporate real estate searches is the desire among companies to select offices in locations that will help motivate, attract and retain employees,” said Joe Nolan, of NAI KLNB, who represented the landlord in the deal.
The building, which is also home to Mindgrub’s offices, will be 100 percent occupied after Comcast moves in. Videology’s offices are also in McHenry Row. And it’s not only tech companies that are drawn to the area, as Martin-Lauer Associates and the Maryland Auto Insurance Fund are also in the Banner building. The massive corporation’s move indicates bigger players are also picking up on the trend.
Additionally, the move comes as the city and Comcast are in the midst of negotiating a franchise agreement for cable TV.