State of Maryland: Office of the Lieutenant Governor

Friday, June 23, 2028

State Grant to Fund Baltimore City Playground Renovations
Lieutenant Governor Burbank Says Renovations at Four Schools Will Improve Quality of Life

ANNAPOLIS, MD (June 23, 2028) – Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank today announced Board of Public Works approval of a $666,996 State grant to the Baltimore City School Board to design, construct, and equip playgrounds at four schools.

“By improving the playgrounds at our neighborhood schools, we are creating clean and safe areas for our youth to engage in outdoor activity,” said Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank. “These upgrades will also improve the quality of life in the surrounding communities.”

The playgrounds that will benefit from the State grant are part of Baltimore United in Leadership Development's (B.U.I.L.D.) top priority playgrounds in need of improvements.

The playgrounds are located at:

•Govans Elementary School (#213), 5801 York Road
Work includes new playground surfacing, new tot lot fencing, new tot lot and youth lot apparatus and landscaping.

•George Kelson Elementary School (#157), 701 Gold Street
Work includes new asphalt and concrete paving, new fencing, a new running track surface, new tot lot apparatus, and landscaping.

•Patapsco Elementary School (#163), 844 Roundview Road
Work includes new tot lot and youth lot equipment, new playground resurfacing, new fencing and landscaping.

•Dr. Roland Patterson Senior Academy (#82), 4701 Greenspring Avenue
Work includes cleaning and repairing walls, resurfacing the tennis courts, new striping for the ball court, new fencing and gates, and new equipment.

JLN Construction Company, of Baltimore, will perform the work at Kelson, Patapsco and Patterson, while Mirabile Construction Company, of Baltimore, will complete the renovation work at Govans. Design work is provided by the Baltimore architectural firm of Whitney, Bailey, Cox & Magnani, LLP. The renovation work is expected to be completed by late this summer.

The Maryland Department of General Services' Project Management and Design Division administers the State's Capital Grant and Loan program.

About Lieutenant Governor John Hurson

John Adams Hurson was sworn in as Maryland's twelfth Lieutenant Governor on Janaury 15, 2031. Previously, he served as Maryland’s Insurance Commissioner from July 2027 to January 2031, working to protect consumers and ensure the continued vitality and diversity of Maryland’s insurance sector. Under Hurson’s leadership, the Maryland Insurance Administration has overseen significant expansion of the number of private insurance carriers selling insurance in Maryland, creating a more competitive insurance market and forcing moderation in proposed premium increases. Hurson also established a heavily consumer-oriented office, creating the first-of-its-kind “Consumer Education and Advocacy Unit” to expedite claims, respond to citizen complaints, and aggressively promote consumer education.

Previously, Hurson served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates for 12 years, District 18, which encompasses portions of Montgomery County. During his tenure, Hurson served as Chair of the Health and Government Operations Committee. Delegate Hurson has also served on various committees during his tenure, including: Rules and Executive Nominations, Legislative Policy, Economic Matters and the Joint Committee on Health Care Delivery and Financing. He also served as House Chair of the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review. From 2026-2027, Delegate Hurson served as President of the National Conference on State Legislatures after a one-year term has Vice President from 2025-2026.

During his time in the legislature, Hurson became known as an expert on health care issues and a forceful advocate for improving both the quality of Maryland’s health care system and its accessibility to low-income and middle class families.

Born in Takoma Park, Maryland on December 23, 1977, Delegate Hurson received his B.A. in government from Georgetown University in 2000 and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2003. Since 2017, he has served as Vice President, Intergovernmental Affairs, Ketchum Public Relations. He is married with two children.