Baltimore City's Department of Public Works (DPW) will close the Residential Recycling Drop-off Center at the Reedbird Sanitation Facility in South Baltimore's Cherry Hill neighborhood for upgrades on Saturday, May 17, DPW officials said. 

The closure marks the start of a multi-year modernization project at the facility.

The renovation comes after a city inspector general's report last year revealed poor working conditions at the site, including inadequate cooling facilities for employees working in extreme heat. Workers have complained for years about unsafe working conditions and low pay. 

"We are talking about facilities that have had zero, zilch, nada investments, and now, you have an administration that's actually going to be able to build new ones," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said during a 2024 news conference. 

The upgrade is expected to last between a year and a half to two years. 

When completed, the facility will feature improved infrastructure and a new Recycling Drop-off Center with a separate public entrance.

Residents needing recycling services during the closure can use alternative city drop-off centers, DPW said. The Sisson Street and Quarantine Road locations are recommended for South Baltimore residents.

Inspector general report reveals poor conditions 

The inspector general's 48-page report says the investigation found "numourous issues and concerns" for worker safety at multiple facilities for years, including a lack of working HVAC systems, inadequate restrooms and more.

"We have a very high injury rate. It leads to not stopping when you're hot, it leads to all types of situations that puts pressure on those workers," Baltimore City Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cummings said during an interview with WJZ.

What improvements are planned?

The multi-phase, citywide initiative to modernize three DPW sanitation yards is backed by about $49 million in funds and grants from the Baltimore City Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).

The initiative will improve working conditions, enhance delivery service and support safer, more sustainable operations. 

The investment includes:

• $10 million for Reedbird Yard (Western Yard)
• $7.8 million for Kane Street Yard (Southeast Yard)
• $31.1 million for Bowley's Lane Yard (Eastern Yard) (Includes funding for paving, the Eastside Transfer Station Project, and a new composting facility)

An additional $3.2 million has been dedicated to health and safety improvements across all three sanitation facilities. 

"These aren't just facility upgrades—this is a reinvestment in the people who keep our city clean and healthy," said Director Zaied. "We're building state-of-the-art facilities that reflect our respect for sanitation workers and our commitment to delivering quality services to Baltimore residents."

Planned upgrades include renovated administrative and staff buildings, modernized recycling drop-off centers, and ADA-compliant restrooms.

The facilities will also receive EV charging stations and improved traffic flow systems.

During the renovation, the daily trash and recycling operations at the Cherry Hill yard will be relocated.

Residents are encouraged to use the City's other Recycling Drop-off Centers. 

• Quarantine Road Landfill: 6100 Quarantine Road
• Eastern Sanitation Yard: 6101 Bowley's Lane
• Sisson Street Residential Recycling Center: 2840 Sisson Street
• Northwest Transfer Station: 5030 Reisterstown Road

For those in South Baltimore, the Sisson Street and Quarantine Road locations may be the most convenient alternatives.

To support the planned modernization work, daily trash and recycling operations based at the Reedbird yard will soon be relocated to DPW's Neiman Avenue Facility. 

During this relocation, trash and recycling collection services will continue without interruption for residents in the Reedbird service area. However, this temporary site will not be open to the public.  

"This relocation is temporary—but the long-term impact will be transformational," said DPW Director Khalil Zaied. "Thanks to the Scott Administration's unprecedented investment in the City's sanitation facilities, we are drastically improving working conditions for our solid waste crews and making our sanitation yards more accessible and user-friendly for residents. This is the modern infrastructure our workers deserve, and our communities rely on."

Why is DPW upgrading its facilities?

DPW has long been under scrutiny for worker safety, and concerns peaked following the deaths of Ronald Silver II and Timothy Cartwell in 2024. 

In July 2024, Baltimore Inspector General Isabel Cumming released a report documenting problems at the Cherry Hill Reedbird Yard. The investigation found that DPW employees had been working in extreme heat without adequate water or proper cooling facilities.

After the inspection at the Cherry Hill Yard, Cummings found poor working conditions at eight other facilities.

Another report released in March alleged that DPW failed to mitigate a negative work culture, worker safety issues, and poor morale that have persisted for the "last decade."